O'Neill's Warrior Woman
by sci-fied
Summary: A member of SG-1 is inadvertently abandoned off-world, but a rescue mission becomes something else entirely. Your favorite goa'uld baddies and a mission to save the universe guaranteed! Sam/Jack undertones.
1. Chapter 1

Time: post 'Death Knell'...AU from there on out

Pairing: Sam/Jack undertones

Rating: T (for emotional and physical trauma, language)

Spoilers: everything up to and through season 7's 'Death Knell'...as far as I am concerned, 'Chimera' NEVER happened and Pete is OBSOLETE. Also, because this is set before 'Heroes', Janet and her needles are still kicking. And finally, because this story is AU beyond 'Death Knell', the events of 'It's Good to Be King' never occur.

Oh, and I own absolutely nothing to do with Stargate SG-1 except for my own imaginings.

* * *

**Chapter 1 – Briefing Room, Earth**

Jack slammed his fists on the briefing table with undeniable frustration, making Daniel start to his left. Scientists – he had no use for them, especially Dr. Lee and his associates. Nothing would make him happier than to attach some C4 to their diagram-covered whiteboard and watch it fly apart into teeny tiny little pieces. Perhaps he could recruit Teal'c to help him; a glance in the Jaffa's direction confirmed that he was as aggravated by the situation as Jack.

Daniel, on the other hand, appeared crestfallen by the conclusions of Dr. Lee's team. The archeologist's glasses were at the very tip of his nose, his shoulders were noticeably slumped, and his overall demeanor seemed deflated.

Jack returned his attention to the fidgeting scientists, who were busy trying not to look at him or General Hammond. Sitting in his customary spot at the head of the table, the General looked more distressed than Jack had ever seen him.

"Are you telling me that we cannot dial in or out…for _eighteen months_?" demanded Jack, barely keeping his voice even.

Dr. Lee nodded tentatively. "Uh, yes, that appears, um, to be the situation. You see, the electromagnetic field formed by the cloud of particles encompassing this planetary system –"

Jack cut the nervous scientist off, "Who cares why – it still doesn't change the fact that the planet is unreachable by gate." Jack watched Dr. Lee blink rapidly and wring his hands for a moment before he added, "Right?"

"Well, that is true, but…" Dr. Lee looked back at the other astrophysicists on his team for support.

"Would not a vessel be able to penetrate the field?" inquired Teal'c.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw Daniel's head raise in interest…and then drop once more when Dr. Lee answered, "Unfortunately, no. The electromagnetic field will not allow any space-faring vehicle to pass through it. In fact, it would likely permanently destabilize the control crystals in any Goa'uld technology."

Jack frowned. "Doesn't our solar system have one of those electro-thingies? How come we're able to fly around here just fine?"

"Well, um, Colonel, the electromagnetic field in our system is much weaker than that of the Aeropian system. And the, um, particle density of the nebula-like cloud surrounding the planets would likely, um, bombard the advancing ship's shields to, um… to the point of failure," bumbled Dr. Lee.

Turning toward the General, Jack inquired, "What about the Tok'ra? Or the Asgard? Both of 'em owe us for saving their skinny butts one time or another. Can't they do anything about this? I'd think Jacob of all people would have a vested interest in this."

General Hammond closed his eyes briefly, and opened them with a sigh. "I'm sorry, Jack. As you know, our relationship with the Tok'ra has been strained as of late. I did manage to speak with the High Council, but they send their apologies–"

"Of course they do."

"–and the Asgard agree with Dr. Lee's assessment of the situation. It appears that we are just going to have to wait through the eighteen months before the gates can reconnect."

"With all due respect, sir –"

The General locked his eyes with Jack's. "Jack, until we are able to arrive at a better solution, I am afraid that this is what we will have to accept."

Throwing his hands up, Jack slumped back in his chair, fuming.

Daniel spoke up, "What if we dial Aeropos from another gate? Wouldn't we be able to connect from at least one of them?"

All heads turned to the group of scientists, including Jack's.

Dr. Lee shook his head. "We considered that early on, but you see, the nature of the electromagnetic cloud is such that it has completely blocked any wormholes from any direction. The only reason why we know that there will be an opening in eighteen months is, um, that the cloud follows a predictable pattern."

"Uh, did you say a predictable pattern? I'm no astrophysicist, but isn't that slightly odd for something as large as a system-wide particle cloud to display such behavior?" Daniel asked, pushing his glasses up his nose with his forefinger.

"Actually, it is. We, um, think that there might be some sort of Ancient technology at work, but without direct access to the planets of the system, we cannot know any more," explained Dr. Lee, fidgeting uncomfortably.

"What about overriding the dialing program?" the archaeologist questioned once more.

Dr. Lee shook his head. "We only were able to originally connect with Aeropos because of the Cold Dialing Address Program. It must have caught the gate during the periodic gap," admitted the scientist.

"Until we have any more information, Dr. Lee, continue to work with your colleagues on this matter. I believe that you are free to go. I want to speak with SG-1," instructed the General.

"What's left of it," Jack heard Daniel mumble.

The group of scientists scrambled out of the briefing room, leaving only their white-board scribbles behind. General Hammond waited until the last lab coat had disappeared down the staircase before he began speaking.

"Now, I know that this is a difficult time for SG-1, and I am prepared to give you all as long as you need to deal with this change. But for at least the short term, I see no reason why SG-1 cannot remain a three-man team."

The General's voice became softer, kinder. "And I want you to know that I am as upset and discouraged by what has happened as you are. I wish there were a way to bring her home now, but since that is not possible, we need to continue on with the knowledge that we will be seeing her in eighteen months."

And with a nod, the General stood, signifying their dismissal. Jack rose from his chair and immediately exited the briefing room. Daniel's hurried footfalls right behind him were unmistakable.

"Jack…Jack, wait…_Jaaack_."

Jack stopped abruptly, and turned to face the galling archaeologist. "What do you want, Daniel?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"I just wanted to make sure that you were ok."

"What do you think, Daniel? That I'm great? That this entire situation is just peachy?" Jack exhaled sharply, then started to turn back around. A hand on his shoulder stopped him once more.

"Jack, you have to talk about this. I know this is difficult – "

"No, Daniel." Jack pushed the hand off of his shoulder forcibly, and skewered the archeologist with an intense glare. "Don't even start."

"But Jack–" Daniel's voice progressed from whiny to downright irksome on the Jack O'Neill irritation scale.

"I don't want to hear it, Daniel."

"Jack, you have to at the very least acknowledge what's happened."

The Colonel's jaw set and his eyes narrowed. "This is the job, we lose people all the time."

Daniel gave an exasperated sigh, no doubt directed at the dense being in front of him.

"What, Daniel?" questioned Jack, in a terse tone.

"You know what I'm talking about, Jack. And it isn't like she's just another soldier."

Jack threw up his hands. "What do you want me to do? She's gone."

The archaeologist let Jack win the staring contest, dropping his eyes down to his hands. "I am just trying to make sure that you are ok."

"Carter's out there all by herself, stuck off-world for eighteen whole months. I'd say I am feeling about as great as she is right now. So, no, Daniel, I'm not ok. And I've got work to do, if you don't mind," retorted the Colonel, storming off to brood, leaving behind his dejected teammate.

* * *

**A/N:** I have had this first chapter in my computer memory for almost two years. My reticence to post mostly stems from my uncertainty regarding my posting frequency. However, I do have an overall outline for this story, and I will make it my goal to post as often as I am able. All grammar and spelling mistakes are my own...and all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, etc. are welcome. Thanks for reading!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Gate room, Earth (18 months later…present day)**

"Chevron three encoded," announced Walter to the uneasy group assembled in the gate room.

The tension in the entire mountain had increased exponentially over the last week, as everyone anticipated the all-important eighteen-month mark. Dr. Lee and his group of scientists had spent several weeks calculating the exact moment that the Aeropian gate could form a stable wormhole. They had even pulled Dr. Rodney McKay in on things to ensure that there was truly no way to reach Aeropos prior to then. Hammond had insisted upon it, especially after the Asgard confirmed that they would be unable to assist the SGC with anything for a while due to Anubis' renewed presence.

"Chevron four encoded."

Nearly all of the SGC appeared to be present in the control room, with SG-1 crowded around the main set of monitors. Daniel was being his typical antsy self; his fingers were busy drumming an unsteady rhythm on his notebook. Beside him stood Teal'c with his hands clasped behind his back and a solemn expression upon his face. And Jack was on the other side of Teal'c, trying to play the part of impassive Colonel.

"Chevron five encoded."

"Sir, I apologize for being late," Janet announced as she approached the group assembled in the control room. "SG-8's return exams took longer than I anticipated." General Hammond merely nodded, and the petite doctor turned to the twirling gate. Although he knew that she would never admit to it, Jack had noticed the CMO becoming increasingly taciturn since Carter's absence. Whether or not it was just to him, that he could not say.

"Chevron six encoded."

The scientists began nervously chattering amongst themselves in anticipation and Jack suppressed the urge to snap at them. No doubt they were worried about their combined fate. After all, if this did not work, then they were likely to be throttled by nearly everyone in the control room. And Jack would be at the head of that line.

"Chevron seven…." Everyone held a collective breath for a moment, anticipating Walter's final declaration. "Encoded and locked!"

The wormhole sprung to life in its characteristic watery outward rush. There was a smattering of applause and the release of tension throughout the control room was so intense that Jack could nearly feel waves radiating off of each person. Someone from the group of scientists let out a stifled 'whoo' and a few people responded with stuffy laughter.

Hammond stepped forward, pulled the microphone to his mouth, and spoke in his standard clipped tone, "Send the MALP through to confirm that we have connected. Prepare to open radio contact with the other side."

Daniel began to drift toward Jack from behind Teal'c's back. The Colonel kept his eyes focused on the techs preparing the MALP in the gate room, refusing to acknowledge the bespectacled archaeologist's presence before it was absolutely necessary.

"You know, it's ok to act happy."

Jack continued to watch the gate room activity.

"Hammond and the rest of us are not going to begrudge you a display of emotion, Jack."

The Colonel merely grunted in response.

"Why can't you express even the slightest iota of – "

Jack relocated to Hammond's left side, ignoring whatever else Daniel had to say. He watched as the MALP entered the wormhole and then looked down at the display.

"Probe should be arriving…now," indicated Walter.

All eyes turned to watch the live feed from the MALP. The usual initial static gave way to a clear picture of a familiar grassy knoll. More anxiety vanished and was replaced by hesitant smiles throughout the control room.

The ungainly probe rumbled forward and more of the landscape was illuminated in the early morning light.

"Sir, no discernable radio signals," reported one of the gate techs.

"And there appears to be no visual indication of recent activity around the gate," cut in another.

"Um, excuse me, but where is the first MALP? The one that we sent over the last time we visited?" wondered Daniel, aloud.

"There appears to be no sign of it," responded the same tech.

Hammond spoke into the microphone again. "This is General Hammond to Major Samantha Carter, please respond."

A deafening silence filled the control room.

"Major Carter, can you hear me?"

Continued silence.

The General glanced over to the communications console.

"Nothing, sir," respond the tech.

Jack turned to look at Hammond. "Permission to – "

"Granted," affirmed the General. "You are cleared to conduct a search and rescue mission at 1950 hours. Sergeant Harriman, continue periodic radio contact and keep me apprised on any response."

"Yes, sir," responded Walter.

"SG-2 requests permission to join SG-1," inquired someone behind Jack.

Someone else chipped in with, "SGs-3, 5, and 6 also request permission."

Hammond smiled grimly. "I appreciate all of your enthusiasm, but there was no indication of hostiles during the initial contact. I will keep SG-2 on standby, pending request by SG-1."

"Thank you, sir," said Jack, ignoring Daniel's obvious attempt to draw his attention with repeated 'um's. "With your permission, SG-1 will get geared up."

"Go ahead, Colonel."

Jack nearly sprinted out of the control room.

* * *

**SG-1 Locker Room, Earth**

First to reach the locker room, Jack wrenched his jacket off its hanger and stood unmoving for a few heartbeats. He heard Teal'c enter a moment later and the door gently close behind him.

The Colonel grabbed his vest with his other hand and started to pile his gear onto the bench. He could sense the Jaffa's presence behind him, but he did not particularly feel like acknowledging his teammate at the moment.

"O'Neill."

Jack brought his hand up to grip the top shelf of his cubby, but did not turn around. "What, T?"

Teal'c said nothing further for nearly fifteen seconds. Jack's sense of impatience won out, so he turned around and gritted his teeth. "What is it, Teal'c?"

The Jaffa stared at him for another moment before he closed his eyes and performed his characteristic half-bow using only his head. Jack stared at the alien's back with a frown, wondering what Teal'c intended to say, if anything at all. He turned back to his own dressing area in time for Daniel to push through the door, exuberantly.

"This is great, isn't it? The gate works and now all we need to do is go through and get Sam!"

Jack began to haphazardly rummage through the contents of his locker. The archaeologist appeared to sense the ever-present sullen atmosphere of the locker room and changed tactics.

"So, uh, Jack?" prompted Daniel.

The Colonel tightened his fists and bored his gaze into the back of his cubby.

"Jack, you and I should to finish our conversation from earlier."

Teal'c interjected. "Perhaps this is not the appropriate time for this, Daniel Jackson."

"No," responded Daniel, stubbornly, "If we don't – "

"Not now, Daniel," warned Jack.

The archaeologist did not take the hint.

"We should talk now, before we return to Aeropos. Before we find Sam."

"If," growled the Colonel.

Daniel blinked rapidly. "If?"

Jack grabbed his sunglasses from the top shelf.

"Are you serious? I mean, can you really be suggesting what I think you are?" Daniel sputtered.

Teal'c tried again to moderate Daniel. "I do not believe that this conversation should be continued at this time."

"No." Daniel persisted, "We need to talk about this now. You've been avoiding Teal'c and I, and the issue of Sam's absence for too long."

"And…"

"And it isn't healthy, Jack. We are…we were a team, but it sure hasn't felt like that for the last eighteen months."

Jack was fast becoming livid. "I wonder why, Daniel."

The archaeologist did not comprehend Jack's mocking tone. "It's like…like you are taking this personally, Jack. We have all suffered because she is stuck on that planet, not just you."

"Oh, so you're a psychologist now, too, huh?"

"No, I am your friend, but it has been difficult to be that lately."

Jack scowled. "And why would I care if you are my friend?"

Daniel could only gape at Jack's bluntness. "Jack, how can you say that? We've been friends for nearly eight years now, plus the first time we were on Abydos together. You really mean to tell me that all of this has been for nothing?"

The Colonel slammed his sunglasses down onto the bench. "Damn it, Daniel, I don't want to talk about this. Shut up and get geared up or don't bother coming on this mission."

Silence filled the locker room while Jack finished dressing. A perplexed expression, usually reserved for deciphering ancient texts, covered Daniel's face.

"You know, if you are reacting this way because you still think it's your fault that Sam got stranded –"

Jack stormed over to Daniel and spoke in a low voice, "I don't think that and I never did. Stop trying to psycho-analyze me."

"I am just trying to understand why you doubt that we are going to find Sam."

Jack leaned in and narrowed his eyes. "I told you to get moving."

Daniel started to put a hand on the Colonel's shoulder, but Jack shrugged the archaeologist off, and then stomped out the door.

With a dramatic sigh, Daniel turned toward Teal'c. "Was it something I said?"

Teal'c merely raised an eyebrow.

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you for favoriting, reviewing, alerting, and reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Campsite between Aitolia and Thracia, Aeropos**

Jack kicked another pebble into the campfire, wishing that it would ignite or something spectacular like that. It would definitely make him feel better…explosives were his kind of therapy. After all, who didn't feel like a million bucks after detonating some C4?

The day had been mostly a wash - a dusty, frustrating wash. They had spent hours walking around Aitolia, the city state closest to the gate. It was the only place they had visited during their first trip and thus the most likely place to find intel on Carter. A couple of people remembered them from eighteen months ago, but none of them recalled seeing their teammate.

Everyone else acted wary of the three men and seemed only too happy to send the team on their way. Their first meeting eighteen months ago had gone much the same, so Jack ignored most of the overt stares and continued asking any of the general population that would listen about Carter. Finally, after hours of baking in the sun, a particularly obtrusive villager pointed them down the road to the neighboring city state. She claimed that a blonde woman had left Aitolia less than a year ago and headed toward Thracia. Despite Daniel's insistent questioning, the woman could not remember anything more about Carter.

So now they were three-quarters of the way to Thracia, camping for the night. After checking in with Hammond, the tentative plan was to set out at first light and spend the day searching for Carter in Thracia.

Daniel sat down by the fire beside Jack. The archaeologist had been nagging at him all day, trying to finish the conversation he had begun in the locker room.

"You do realize that we know that Sam is probably still alive."

Jack pursed his lips and looked away.

The archaeologist continued on. "Because you did say that one night that there was a chance she might have been caught in the wormhole when it shut down."

"Daniel, go to sleep. I've got first watch."

Instead of arguing with him, Daniel simply sighed and headed to his tent. Jack was grateful for small favors; he didn't have the energy to fight with the archaeologist tonight.

The fire crackled and then popped. The Colonel looked up at the night sky and studied the stars. The skies over alien planets always made him uncomfortable; there weren't any familiar, winking constellations to put his restless mind at ease.

* * *

**Main road to Aeropian gate (18 months earlier…)**

"So, let me get this straight, Daniel. These people beat the crap out of each other and call it government?"

The archaeologist looked over at Jack with a pained expression. "Well, in a crude and somewhat rudimentary way, I suppose that that sums it up."

Jack's eyebrows raised.

"Now listen, Jack – "

"No, I like it," interrupted the Colonel. "Very to the point."

"Yes, I guess you would like that."

Jack shifted his P-90 and slowed his pace. "Think about it, Daniel. Elections would be shorter, require less money, no more pointless political commercials…and we wouldn't get wimps like Kinsey in office."

"But a person such as Arnold Schwarzenegger would remain in power, O'Neill," Teal'c chimed in.

"What, you don't think the 'Governator' is doing a bang-up job in Caleefornia, T?" questioned Jack, imitating an Austrian accent.

The Jaffa merely inclined his head.

"Come on, guys. Just imagine how Election Day would run; pro wrestling wouldn't have anything on that!"

"Jack, are you honestly comparing a Greco-Roman civilization's customs to anything involving Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin?"

The Colonel looked over at Sam and winked, expecting a partial-Carter smirk in response. But he was disappointed to find her completely focused on the tree line to their right.

"And it really isn't a form of government so much as it is their version of commerce. You see, each city state has a Champion, who is generally the strongest and most skilled fighter. These Champions fight each other to acquire resources such as food, water, and other supplies," the archaeologist paused for a moment, as if considering something. "You know, it really is quite a sophisticated way to run a society."

"How so, Daniel Jackson?" asked Teal'c.

"Well, uh, it almost eliminates war and provides a healthy outlet for violence. And it certainly explains our culture's obsession with grotesque and brutal cinema imagery. I mean, how many times do we need to see some muscular brute wielding a sword in some sort of impossible situation with savage animals and unreasonably plebian competitors–"

"Sounds like someone is referring one of my favorite movies." Jack waggled his eyebrows, and then frowned when the archaeologist gave him a blank stare. "Seriously? Hmm, guess rock-boy needs some hints. How about: fighting tigers in an arena, blue-painted faces, overthrowing kings and emperors?"

"O'Neill, I believe you are confusing the films Gladiator and Braveheart."

Jack glanced over at the tall Jaffa in mock surprise. "Oh? How did you know that, T?"

"The man with the abnormally large nose plays a similar role in a film about American rebellion against their British gods."

"I see you know your Earth movies…nice," complimented Jack.

"Jack," queried Daniel in a nasally whine, "Just what have you been lending Teal'c lately?"

"Wasn't me," insisted the Colonel, "He discovered Netflix a few weeks ago. Pretty much all bets are off; we can't make anymore references to Coneheads without him catching on."

Daniel pulled off his sunglasses and examined them. "They mail Netflix to the base?"

Jack shrugged his shoulders. "It's just like regular mail, why wouldn't they?"

"Uh, I guess it just seemed like such a…normal thing."

"Yeah, because we know so much about normal," joshed Jack, rolling his eyes.

Daniel squinted his in response. "I think we would all freak out if our lives even borderlined on 'normal'."

Jack looked over at Carter, expecting a commiserating comment, but instead observed her head downturned and her expression introspective.

"You know, going back to the topic of violence in society," redirected Daniel, "I seem to remember that J.G. Ballard described violence as an evolutionary standby system, a wild joker in the game of life. I still think it makes sense as some sort of pressure-release."

Daniel barely gave them all a moment to consider his statement before turning to the most solemn member of their troupe. "Teal'c, do you think that the Jaffa perception of violence differs from that of humans? I mean, it seems like the honor code alone ensures that–"

Jack tuned out Daniel for the moment and focused all his attention on his 2IC. Carter had been unusually quiet since being released from the infirmary a week ago, but he attributed it to her recent scrape with Anubis' super soldier at the obliterated Alpha site. She'd been nearly chased to death, which was enough to take anyone out of commission for a while.

"Hey, Carter."

She did not respond immediately, and when she did, her voice was distant. "Uh, yes, sir?"

The Colonel moved closer to his Major and lightly touched her shoulder. Years of working together meant that that was all he needed to do to ask for a moment alone. They paused long enough for Teal'c and Daniel, who were heavily involved in a philosophical discussion, to continue ahead and then they resumed walking.

"Carter," appealed Jack.

She merely murmured, "Yes, sir?"

"You doin' alright?"

She perked up too quickly. "Of course, sir. I'm fine."

He frowned. "Come on, Carter. You're anything but fine."

The Major offered an appeasing smile that did not match the rest of her demeanor. "Really, I am fine, sir."

"Well, you don't seem 'fine' to me."

"Well, I am."

Jack paused for a moment to reconsider his conversation tactics. "Carter, I order you as your superior officer to inform me of your field condition."

She pressed her lips together and gave him a defensive look before responding with, "I am fit for duty otherwise I would not have come on this mission."

"Do I detect the slightest degree of insubordination in your tone, Major?" he asked, bemused, cocking his head.

He watched her eyes slide to either side of the road, then to the two men walking in front of them, and then finally over toward him. "Of course not, sir."

Jack tried again. "Now seriously, Carter; you've been acting out of it this entire mission. I need to know that my six is covered."

She smirked. "I am fairly certain that your six is just fine."

He raised his eyebrows and the smirk dropped off of her face as she added his honorary belatedly. Carter broke their visual connection and returned her gaze to the dirt path in front of her feet.

Noticing her rapid degradation to melancholy, Jack quickly asked, "So, what's your take on all of this 'violence as a form of society' stuff?"

She glanced his way with an expression she usually reserved for Daniel's most confounding briefings. "What?"

"You know, the whole 'band of Russell Crowes going gladiatorial on each other' thing."

"I guess it is a unique way of managing a civilization."

She sounded bored, so he tried for humor. "Yeah, but the whole 'I kick your ass and you then owe me your stuff' deal…"

She shrugged. "Seems a little primitive."

"Really, Carter? I kinda thought you might dig this."

"Why?" she asked, incredulously.

"Uh, well, you were awfully psyched up about that space race, and then there's your Indian and–"

"Oh," interrupted his Major, "So, you think I'm just an adrenaline-junkie, huh?"

The unexpected acerbity in her voice surprised him. "Well, yeah, kind of. You do like to take crazy risks and devise Hail Mary plans to save all our sorry butts and the rest of the universe from snakehead goobers fairly regularly."

She took a series of short, rapid breaths that culminated in a deep sigh. "Of course, sir."

Her acquiescence to his teasing further confused him into silence. The Colonel hooked his thumbs through his vest and pulled a face when Daniel glanced over his shoulder at them. They walked without speaking further for nearly a quarter of a mile before he tried to start a new conversation. "I heard that Felger asked Hammond for almost ten pounds of naqahdah to complete his 'quantum death ray'."

Carter huffed. "I know. He tried to get me to handle the requisition request so that he wouldn't have to go to the General himself. Too bad that the man has no tact whatsoever - he resorted to repeating over and over again that he was responsible for fixing his modified Avenger virus and saving us from annihilation by Ba'al's Jaffa."

Encouraged by her lengthy response, Jack prompted, "And?"

She glared disbelievingly. "And I reminded him that we wouldn't have been stuck in the first place if he hadn't developed and released the virus. Plus, it was actually you and Teal'c who rescued us with your 'confiscated' Alkesh."

Jack could not help that his chest puffed out a little. "It was nothing, really. Rescuing astrophysicists is a part of my job description; it's in the fine print on the mission reports."

Jack watched Sam bite her upper lip in an endearing manner, but she didn't say anything more. He let the silence permeate for a few moments, hoping that she would say something in response.

But she didn't, so he felt compelled to speak. "Ok. Well, let's grab some coffee…and cake, definitely cake…uh, in the commissary when we get back, ok?"

A slight smile crossed Sam's face, the first one he'd observed all day (and did he ever live for the opportunity to be the reason for one of her smiles). "I'd like that, sir."

He returned the smile and then looked ahead to the archaeologist and the Jaffa who had already reached the gate.

"All right, Daniel. Dial us back home," ordered Jack, gesturing at the gate with a flourish of his hand.

Carter sidled up next to Daniel as he pressed the relevant symbols, and the team watched the gate engage and a wormhole form. Jack started for the steps leading up to the gate and glanced over at Daniel who had just finished in-putting their IDC.

"So, we ready to go?"

Daniel nodded. "I am confident that we've learned enough to provide the follow-up team with sufficient intel."

Jack turned around to address the road. "Well, it's been swell, but all roads lead to…home…" He noticed his teammate's perplexed expressions and attempted to clarify, "Right, you get it? Because you know that the saying is 'all roads lead to Rome'. And this particular bunch of people could have been nabbed straight from ancient Rome, like Daniel was saying earlier…"

Daniel just continued looking at him strangely and Teal'c's expression did not waver. Jack looked over to Sam for moral support and found the blonde busy examining the DHD with a frown.

"Carter, what is it?"

"Sir," she spoke, hesitantly, "The DHD seems to be fluctuating."

"And what exactly does that mean?" asked the Colonel, picking up on his second's uneasiness.

Sam looked up at her stationary teammates. "Well, it might be just a temporary power fluxuation. We have observed this before when the gate is trying to compensate for a drain through the capacitors from some external force. The DHD acts as a safety check to prevent gate travel under unstable conditions in order to protect travelers. If it's just a fluxuation it will likely stabilize long enough to allow us to use the gate and then a self-diagnostic will initiate as soon as we are through."

"Or…" Jack prompted, already bracing for the worst.

"Or, it is equally possible that the DHD might be about to permanently lose power. After all, we have not yet determined the maximum lifetime of the internal naqahdah power source. If you recall, the DHD we recovered from Antarctica died shortly after we brought it back to Area 51. However, we have hypothesized that that DHD was one of the oldest in the system, which means that its power source was more than 50 million years old."

"Anytime you feel like getting to the point, Carter…"

"And if that's the case, we really need to get through the gate _now_," she emphasized the last word as she looked up from the flickering alien device.

"I say we listen to Sam, right guys?" backed Daniel.

"Yes, let's." Jack turned toward the gate, checking to be sure that Carter was jogging their way.

Teal'c and Daniel had vanished through the gate by the time he reached the event horizon. He turned back to check Carter's proximity to the gate and gauged her distance to be approximately 50 yards.

"Come on, Carter…pick it up!"

"Go, sir! I'll be right behind you!" she yelled.

But he paused and watched her sprint closer.

25 yards…

15 yards…

10 yards…

5 yards…

The puddle started to flicker behind him and he could hear the sizzle of the wormhole destabilizing.

Jack waited until she had nearly made it up the steps before stepping through the gate backwards.

He heard his boots hit the metal grate of the ramp at the same moment that the blue surface vanished in front of him. Jack could only stare in horror at the empty space in the middle of the gate where his Major should be standing. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think, he couldn't move.

"Dial it back," demanded Jack as he wrenched his head around to look at the control room, his throat tight and voice strained.

General Hammond nodded to Walter and the gate began moving. Jack stumbled down to the bottom of the ramp to join an apprehensive Daniel and a somber Teal'c and watched the first six chevrons engage. But the gate fizzled when the seventh chevron tried to lock.

And Jack felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach.

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**A/N:** Thank you for favoriting, reviewing, alerting, and reading!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 - Thracia, Aeropos**

Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c reached the city state of Thracia mid-day. Although the city's outskirts were only 6 klicks away from their campsite, it felt like a 15 klick forced march. Perhaps that was mostly because Daniel couldn't keep his incessant chattering to a minimum. As wilderness gave way to rural farmland, they were educated on the formation of 'poleis': "ancient Greek city-states that were first developed during the Archaic period and continued into Roman times…not under sovereign rule, but rather the body of citizens were responsible for dictating law and justice…"

And once farmland gave way to the outskirts of Thracia, Daniel felt compelled to describe how the Archaic period gave way to Classical Greece: "Athens ultimately became a democracy when the Athenian aristocrat Cleisthenes proposed to his fellow citizens that Athens undergo a revolution. This was in response to the threat of becoming a Spartan puppet. The dawn of democracy in Athens led to a 'golden age', which resulted in…"

The Colonel was seriously contemplating shooting the archaeologist by the time that they entered the main part of the city. Even Teal'c was looking unusually harried.

But still Daniel persisted. "Each polis in ancient Greece and Rome tended to worship either a singular deity or a set of patron deities for protection. Particular festivals and ceremonies were performed in specific city states in order to best pay tribute to their patron god/goddess." He took a breath, and then concluded with, "Obviously, all of the poleis on Aeropos worship Ares."

Jack felt prompted to put a stop to Daniel's monologue. "And just how do you figure that one, Daniel?"

"These banners bear the symbol of Ares," indicated Teal'c, gesturing to a pair of blood-red flags hanging from a nearby structure.

Jack stepped closer to inspect the icon. "And just what's that thing supposed to be?"

Daniel piped up once more. "It is a representation of a quadriga or a four-horse chariot. Ares was often depicted riding upon a chariot drawn by four gold-bridled, fire-belching, immortal stallions."

Jack's eyebrows rose. "Compensating much, are we?"

"Well, given that Greek mythology documents an affair between Ares and Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty, I doubt that he had any difficulty with the ladies, Jack," speculated Daniel.

"Ares is a minor Goa'uld, known for often attacking rashly and violently with little provocation," interjected Teal'c.

Daniel nodded. "In Greek mythology, many wrongly describe him as the 'god of war'. In reality, Ares was more like the 'god of bloodlust and slaughter'."

Jack stepped away from the banners and started back down the main road, adding sarcastically, "He sounds like a particularly pleasant fellow."

Daniel took this as a sign that he was interested in hearing more. "Well, according to mythology, Ares was instrumental in the founding of Thebes. The Spartans were the only group documented to have had any sort of cult following for him. He was known as Mars to the Romans, although he played many more roles in Roman mythos."

Jack grimaced. "Daniel, do you think that you could possibly stop yapping for the next five minutes?"

The archaeologist looked hurt, but fell silent. Jack sighed impatiently and then turned to observe the city around them. Despite being nearly noon, the streets were almost vacant. The few people scattered about appeared to be either sick or homeless, or both. None looked well enough to respond to their queries, so they continued walking toward the center of the city.

In the near distance, Jack could make out an acropolis, which Daniel had previously identified as a citadel-like structure. He gestured toward it, but Daniel only shrugged his shoulders, apparently still smarting from Jack's reprimand. Teal'c said nothing, which Jack took to mean that the Jaffa had no objections.

The usual whispers and suspicious gazes followed the three men as they approached the outer walls of the acropolis. But a dull murmuring coming from behind the walls cut through the humid air, and Jack assumed that they would find the majority of the populace inside. Teal'c located a moderately trafficked entrance and the three-man team entered the center of Thracia.

Thirty minutes later, Jack was thoroughly irritated by the constant press of bodies and the overwhelmingly foul smell of unwashed people. He, Daniel, and Teal'c had split up in order to cover more ground and speak to more people, but so far Jack was coming up empty. No one could remember an unfamiliar woman arriving in the previous year, not that any of the citizens were particularly interested in helping him. Most wanted to move around Jack, and those that did stop to talk were more focused on selling him something than on answering his questions. Even brandishing his P-90 did little to help his cause.

An open area away from the market caught Jack's eye, so he extracted himself from the dynamic mass of human beings and took a breath of unsoiled air. And then he promptly stopped breathing altogether.

In front of him was a group of Thracians, but far different than the bulk of people at his back. These individuals were bronzed, lean, muscular, and sharpened like weapons. Being a military man, he could recognize physical aptitude almost instantly, and this group had it in spades. They were sparring, some with weapons and others with bare hands, and all were helmeted. The sun glistened across the sweat covering all of their bodies, giving them the appearance of lacquer-coated skin.

But that wasn't what had caught his attention instantly; no, it was the slender woman jousting with a tall male in the center of the pitch. Her jabs, her blocks, they were straight from the U.S. Air Force hand-to-hand combat training. And the way that she held her body left no doubt in his mind…

Jack was across the arena and spinning the woman around to face him in mere seconds. But his certainty rapidly decayed into distress when he looked into a pair of confused green eyes. Unfamiliar, confused green eyes.

The young Thracian woman blinked at him for a few moments as her confusion turned into concern. Her sparring partner stepped up and gently removed her from Jack's grasp and then addressed the crestfallen Colonel.

"Why have you disrupted our training session?"

Jack could only continue staring at the woman, as if sheer will could change her into his Major.

The tall Thracian made to take a step toward Jack, but seemed to think better of it. "Are you well?"

The Colonel swallowed and opened his mouth to reply, but he was interrupted by a voice behind him.

"Uh, Jack? What's going on?"

He turned around to find Daniel looking at him expectantly, and Teal'c standing to his right.

Jack stuttered for a moment before regaining control of his vocal faculties. "Uh, I, er, was just noticing the technique they were using to fight…it looks kinda familiar."

Teal'c inclined his head. "How so, O'Neill?"

"Well, for starters, it's a lot like some of the basic Air Force assault techniques," he turned to look at the tall Thracian, "Just where in the hell did you learn that?"

The man frowned at Jack and then looked over at his female companion. An uneasy glance passed between them, and it was not interrupted until Jack cleared his throat.

The man assessed them with intense eyes before speaking again. "Perhaps we should take you to see our Champion."

Daniel perked up at this. "Ah, that would be excellent. Can we see him now?"

"Daniel, just why would we bother seeing this person?"

The archaeologist folded his arms, mulishly. "I think it would an incredible opportunity to speak to a living gladiator."

Jack almost lost it. "Daniel, this is hardly the time to be conducting an anthropological study."

"What if he knows something about Sam's whereabouts? He might be a good source of information."

"Fine. We will go see this 'Champion'," acquiesced Jack, using air quotes. "But if he doesn't know anything about Carter, we are moving on. Period. No negotiation."

The archaeologist nodded in understanding and then looked over at the Thracian man. "Um, we would very much appreciate the opportunity to speak with your Champion."

Their interaction had drawn the attention of the remaining fighters, and several of them focused on Teal'c.

"Why does this one bear the mark of the gods?" questioned a young male.

Teal'c's expression never wavered from his usual stoicism. "I was once in service of a false god."

The woman who Jack had confused for Sam stepped up. "You do not worship your god any longer? Why has he not struck you down for your impudence?

Jack stepped between the woman and Teal'c. "Alright, we are so not getting into this right now. You," he directed at the tall Thracian, "whatever your name is, let's go see your boss."

"I am Siculus, and we must –"

The rest of Siculus' statement was drowned out by the reverberations of a large, ornate bell hanging on the west wall of the acropolis. A rumbling cheer followed in the wake of the tolling, most heartily from the group of muscular Thracians around them.

Jack looked over at Daniel for an explanation, but the archaeologist could only shake his head.

"Come now," hollered Siculus, "A Challenge has been issued!"

Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c followed the young fighters, who were in turn followed by everyone in the market through the streets of the acropolis. A few minutes later, what appeared to be the entire population was gathered around a central circular structure with a balcony.

"Daniel, what in the hell is a Challenge?" asked Jack above the dull roar of the surrounding crowd.

Daniel squinted in concentration. "I vaguely remember hearing about it during our last visit, but I think it is how they get their resources. Each polis' Champion fights the other, and to the victor goes…uh, the spoils."

"Oh, I see. So, why are we here then?"

The archaeologist shaded his eyes and looked toward the balcony. "I guess that a Challenge must be acknowledged or something, and that is what's about to happen."

Jack glanced at the covered balcony in bored manner, and then scanned the crowd for any sign of blonde hair. Completing an unsuccessful survey, he turned back to Daniel at the same moment that the younger man's jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

"Jack…that's Sam."

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, alerted, and read this story!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – Thracia, Aeropos**

Jack's head snapped up to follow Daniel's line of sight. At first, he only saw another brawny Thracian, bracing himself against the balcony's edge using his thick arms. This was undoubtedly the vaunted Thracian Champion because the crowd's fervent cries intensified and the man flashed a smile in response.

But then Jack watched in unveiled astonishment as a golden-haired, tunic-clad woman joined the Thracian man on the balcony. This time there could be no misidentification; Samantha Carter, his Major and 2IC, stood only fifty feet away, nothing less than a splendid apparition.

Her hair was longer, but restrained beneath a silver headband, the sort that marble statues wore across their foreheads. She had developed a deep tan, not quite as olive-toned as the Thracians, but bronze nonetheless. The cut of her natural-colored tunic was so that her arms were completely exposed and Jack could see that she had built impressive muscle mass. Sam had always been fit and lean, but this version of his Major was beyond military fitness. She was downright ripped.

And she held herself with a cool certainty, radiating poise. Her shoulders were back and her head high. It was unlike any behavior that Jack had ever observed from his Major. Sure, Sam had always demonstrated self-confidence and never ran from a challenge, but that was mostly to put up a strong front in the face of the male-dominated Air Force. Jack had never doubted that there lay something soft and vulnerable beneath that façade, and had even witnessed it a handful of times.

But the Sam in front of him held no lurking vulnerability, no subcutaneous vibe of kindness. This woman was sharp and dangerous, and it scared the hell out of him.

The crowd had begun to chant 'Delios! Delios! Delios!' in the meantime and Jack shifted his gaze back to the Thracian beside Sam. The man, whose name was apparently Delios, lifted his hands for quiet, and the crowd obliged his nonverbal request.

"Thrake has issued a Challenge and Thracia has accepted," declared Delios, in a booming voice, smiling as the crowd resumed cheering. Jack glanced at Daniel and observed that the archaeologist's mouth had yet to close.

After about a minute of noise, the assemblage calmed back down, and Delios raised his fist and continued speaking, "Thracia's warriors will leave tomorrow at first sun for Thrake, where we will be victorious!" He thrust his fist to the sky and the crowd responded with another round of jovial shouting.

The original chant of 'Delios!' picked back up again, and then died down as a new chant began. Jack couldn't make it out completely, but it sounded something like 'Achilles!'. He wanted to looked over at Daniel again for an explanation, but found that he didn't dare tear himself away from watching Sam on the balcony.

Through Delios' declarations, Sam had remained unmoving, her eyes focused on a point above the people below her. Now she reached over to the Thracian and touched his arm, which he lowered immediately. Jack watched her mouth move and Delios, still looking out at the crowd, nodded in response. She continued speaking until the man smiled, but the expression of indifference upon her face did not change. Finally, Delios seemed to have enough of the crowd and exited through the curtain at the back of the balcony, Sam following after.

The moment the last bit of golden skin vanished behind the curtain, Jack was moving. He surged through the dispersing crowd like a man possessed, which, he supposed, was an adequate assessment of his current mental state.

"Jack!"

He didn't even pause to acknowledge Daniel. Teal'c could handle the whiny archaeologist until he'd found Sam. Nothing else mattered. No one else mattered.

Jack had nearly made it to the edge of the crowd, stepping on an uncountable number of toes in the process and offering no apology, when a heavy hand fell upon his shoulder, spinning him back around.

"Proceed no further, O'Neill," requested the owner of the hand. Jack did not bother to suppress an angry grunt.

"Why not, Teal'c? You saw Carter too…she's right there." Jack gestured to the balcony behind him.

"Indeed. But Siculus has indicated that he will obtain us an audience with the Champion. He just informed us that it would be otherwise difficult to reach Major Carter."

"What!" snapped Jack, "Why do we have to go through that Delios guy? He's not her keeper."

"We have found her, O'Neill. And we will see her shortly. All other circumstances are irrelevant," spoke the Jaffa in a gentle tone. If Jack didn't know better, he would have sworn that Teal'c was trying to earnestly assure him.

Jack sighed in frustration. "Fine. When can Sicily get us to see Delios?"

"_Siculus_," corrected Daniel, who had apparently caught up with them, "said that we could go right now, as long as you calm down."

"I'm calm," asserted Jack, defensively.

Daniel shifted his weight. "Yeah, we can see that." His eyes rested on Jack's death clutch on his P-90.

Jack immediately released his weapon and put his arms at his sides. "I'm calm," he repeated in a more neutral tone.

Daniel only smirked knowingly.

Siculus led them to a columned structure in the vicinity of the training arena. It was about three stories high with a pointed roof, matching most of the surrounding buildings. Jack was strongly reminded of some sort of Greek temple, but on a much smaller scale.

Broad marble steps led to a set of substantial doors which were guarded by two of the Thracian warriors. Siculus paused to speak to them, and Jack crossed his arms in impatience. After a moment, their guide gestured for them to precede him into the edifice.

The interior of the building was accentuated by an intricately detailed fresco. Jack had to peel Daniel away before he started to pontificate about the significance of the figures and scenes. They walked further in and Jack realized that they were in an antechamber; another set of double doors and another pair of guards stood twenty feet ahead of the group.

However, another Thracian was between them and the second room. Jack instantly recognized him, even before Siculus' introduction.

Delios offered a smile and a half-bow.

"These ones come seeking Achillia," explained Siculus.

The Thracian man evaluated them, his eyes lingering on their clothing and weapons. "You are not from Thracia."

Daniel stepped up. "No, actually –"

"Nor are you of Thrake, Thesprotia, Mantinea, or another of the other poleis of Aeropos."

"Uh, no. We came through the Stargate."

Delios' handsome features crinkled. "The ring of the gods?"

"Yes," affirmed Daniel, "we come from a planet called Earth."

"And you inquire about Achillia?"

Jack could hear Daniel beside him muttering under his breath, "Achillia…Achillia…where do I know that name from?"

Deciding that his teammate was otherwise occupied, Jack spoke up. "We want to see Major Carter."

Delios looked genuinely confused. "I do not know who this is."

Jack was quickly losing the speck of patience he had remaining. "She was with you earlier on that platform-thing."

Smiling as if in understanding, Delios replied, "I believe you are confused."

"Damn it, I'm not confused!" retorted the Colonel.

The Thracian's smile faded. "I will retrieve Achillia and she will resolve this uncertainty." Delios half-bowed again and exited the room through a side door, Siculus accompanying him.

"Yeah, whatever. You do that."

"Jack, you could have been a little less rude, you know," pointed out Daniel.

The Colonel's lips thinned. "I'm just tired of being given the run-around. We know Carter's here; why can't we just see her instead of going through every single person in the damn city."

Daniel spoke amenably, "It is annoying, Jack, to know she is close but not to be able to immediately see her. Listen, don't think you are the only one who is upset about this."

Jack grunted and turned to watch the side door for Delios' return.

But it was the second set of doors that opened in front of them a few minutes later, the guards shifting out of the way. And through them strode their long-lost teammate, a dispassionate expression upon her face.

Jack was able to make several new observations about Sam due to her closer proximity. Her hair _was_ longer, but it was pulled back in some sort of braid-thing with the silver headband standing out against her dark skin. Kohl about her eyes accentuated their color and shape, the characteristic dark-circles he had grown accustomed to seeing clearly missing. She had never looked healthier to him; she literally exuded vivacity.

However, he was concerned by a pronounced scar running diagonally across her right cheek bone. There was a fresher scar at the top of her right arm and developing bruises below that. Just who had dared to hurt his Major?

A wicked-looking sword hung at her left side, her hand comfortably resting against the hilt. A silver bracelet encircled that wrist, unidentifiable symbols engraved about the center. But it was Sam's right forearm that captured his attention; a bold tattoo wrapped around it, its significance unknown to Jack.

His eyes quickly returned to her face and he was startled by what he found. She regarded him with an absolutely bewildered expression, as if he was some sort of phantom.

But incomprehension abruptly transformed into icy aloofness before Jack's eyes. The woman in front of him tilted her head to the side, set her jaw, and then looked them each up and down. She returned her narrowed eyes to the Colonel.

Jack opened his mouth to speak, but Sam quickly raised her right hand, and he hesitated.

"We can't tell you how hap–" started Daniel, boisterously, and then stopped when she sneered at him.

Her gaze came back to Jack, her eyes blazing into him as she spoke in a low hiss.

"You wasted a trip."

* * *

**A/N:** I continue to be awestruck by all of your reviews, favorites, alerts, and reading. Thank you so much!


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – Thracia, Aeropos**

Jack could only stare, slack-jawed. Any other time and any other circumstances he would have believed that his Major was pulling a fast one on them. But there was no misinterpreting her cold malice and it stung him deeply.

She had already begun walking away before he had a chance to recover, so he was forced to run after her, nearly yelling, "Carter, wait, wait…wait for a second, for crying out loud!" Jack grabbed a fistful of her tunic when she showed no signs of stopping.

Sam spun around and wrenched his arm back with surprising speed and force. Jack could hear Daniel gasp behind him.

"Do. Not. _Touch._ Me," she spat and he let go in shock.

"Sam?" Daniel's voice held a trace of trepidation.

Her eyes never left Jack's. "Go back to Earth."

She turned to leave again and something snapped inside of Jack.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what you think it does," and then after a momentary pause, she added, "sir."

But unlike hundreds of other times, when his appellation had been spoken with respect or in teasing, her tone was distinctly spiteful.

With that parting blow she walked back through the doors in front of them, her head high. And the smacking of her sandals against the stone floor felt like repeated slaps across Jack's face; he flinched in time with her steps.

Daniel and Teal'c stepped even with him and cast sympathetic glances his way.

"Well, that was unexpected," postulated the archaeologist in what had to be the understatement of the century.

Jack said nothing for a full minute as he reevaluated the situation. Then he spoke with a timbre usually reserved for directing young cadets.

"Come on, we're leaving."

"Um, no we're not, Jack."

The Colonel's head turned toward Daniel sharply. "Excuse me?"

Daniel did not balk despite Jack's incredulousness. "Sam's obviously been through a lot. She must have been completely overwhelmed to see us. We did just kind of drop in out of the blue."

Jack just glowered at his teammate.

"I bet if we give her a few hours to adjust, she'll be just fine. Right, Teal'c?" The archaeologist looked over at the Jaffa for support.

But Teal'c surprised them both by replying with, "Indeed I do not believe that will be the case."

Daniel looked taken aback. "You don't?"

Teal'c shifted his gaze to the Colonel. "Major Carter has experienced an ordeal, the magnitude of which we do not understand. We cannot make assumptions regarding her recovery if we do not know what has occurred."

"She just needs to get used to the idea that she's coming home with us," persisted Daniel.

"She's not going to come with us, Daniel. She made that plainly clear," insisted the Colonel.

"Remember when you guys found me on the planet you thought was Vis Uban?" Sensing Jack's confusion, Daniel added, "The City of the Lost?"

"Yeah…and?"

"And…you had to convince me that I was supposed to go back with you. I definitely wasn't too keen on the idea initially."

Jack gave him a pained look. "Yeah, but you didn't know who you were."

"Oh, and you think Sam does?" pointed out the archaeologist.

The Colonel's eyes narrowed.

"She probably thought she was never going to leave. Kind of like you did, when you were on Edora a few years back."

"That's totally unrelated," Jack asserted.

"Really, Jack? Because you didn't act like you were particularly happy to see us or to be going back home. And that was only after like three months. Sam's been here for six times that."

Jack wanted this conversation to be over. "Well, you can sit around and wait for her to have an epiphany for all I care. I'm going back."

Teal'c stepped in his way. "O'Neill, I told you on a previous occasion that you are like a brother to me. More precisely, a younger brother."

Jack waited for Teal'c to get to the point.

"I believe it would be prudent to listen to your elder brother at this juncture."

"Really, T? And just what advice does my older brother have to offer?" asked Jack, flippantly.

"Major Carter does indeed need time to process our appearance. Perhaps we should observe her current activities during that interval. This will allow us to make an informed decision regarding her fate," finished Teal'c.

"So, you want us to stick around?" guessed Jack.

Teal'c paused to consider his question. "I believe that is what I said."

Daniel threw in, "I agree with Teal'c, Jack. We should stay here and talk to Sam. Maybe even try to empathize with her situation; she is our friend, after all."

"Fine. But I decide when this little observational period is over," decreed Jack, leaving no room for argument.

Daniel and Teal'c had opted to remain in the temple-building in an attempt to find out more about Sam from Siculus. Jack told them that he was going to do some walking before he handled the scheduled check in time with General Hammond. There was enough time before contact that the walk would give him ample opportunity to cool off. No sense in letting George pick up on the fact that he was royally pissed.

His teammates were being rational and he could see that their arguments for staying were valid. But right now Jack didn't want to think that way; he felt like being cantankerous and belligerent. Surely this was a bad dream and any second now he was going to wake up on his couch to the sight of an empty twelve-pack lined up on his coffee table. Her reaction hadn't even been on his list of things he had _not_ expected. Jack wanted to believe that she had been through some sort of nightmare that made her react so. But he was left with the feeling that maybe he had never really known his Major at all.

The scent of baking bread wafted past Jack as he marched through the acropolis, and he noticed that it was less crowded than before. This archaic, simple way of life appealed to him, but he couldn't see how she'd ever adapted. How could someone who adored technology so much be happy in a backwards place like this? No gizmos or gadgets to tinker with; what else did she even like doing in her spare time? She spent all of her vacation time at the base, fiddling with naquadah reactors. He knew that she had a motorcycle and a sweet car, but beyond that he wasn't sure. How do you spend years working with someone and not know anything about their hobbies and interests? He found that he did not have an answer.

Jack had walked the entire perimeter of the acropolis before he even bothered checking his watch. Seeing that he still had some time before the SGC phoned in, he walked around once more just for good measure.

His radio crackled to life at precisely 0630. "This is General Hammond to Colonel O'Neill, please respond."

With a sigh, he reached up and depressed the reply button.

"O'Neill here, sir."

"Colonel, status report."

"We've located Major Carter, sir. She was, uh," he searched for the right words, "less than enthusiastic about us showing up, but Daniel and Teal'c figure she just needs to get used to the idea that she's heading home."

"And what is your assessment of her condition?"

Jack grimaced. "Can't really say, sir."

"I see, Colonel."

Jack wanted to say 'not really', but he didn't feel like being witty at the moment. "I recommend that we remain for a couple of days while we get a better handle on the situation."

"All right, Jack. I am going to defer to you. I hope that Dr. Jackson and Teal'c are right about this one." The General did not sound overly confident.

"Me too, sir," answered Jack, frankly.

"Don't forget that Dr. Lee has predicted that the magnetic field will block the planet in two days, preventing gate travel for another eighteen month interval."

"I haven't forgotten, sir. We'll be back through plenty before then." Jack purposely neglected to specify exactly who would be making the return trip.

"Understood, Colonel. Plan to make contact in another 24 hours."

"Yes, sir. O'Neill out."

Jack noted that the sun was low in the sky as he signed out, and figured he had better head back to the gladiator's temple to check on Teal'c and Daniel. As he approached the building his trepidation returned, along with a lurking wave of bitterness.

"Jack!" called out the archaeologist barely five seconds after he'd entered the room. "I really need to talk to you. But maybe you'd rather eat first."

"You know, I could eat and you could talk," suggested Jack, sarcastically.

Daniel looked confused for a moment. "Oh, right."

Jack surveyed the room. "Where's Teal'c?"

"Siculus offered us a room for the night. Teal'c is checking it out right now."

"Ok, so we'll let the big guy go to work and just stay out here." Jack gestured to a stone bench against one of the walls.

The pair sat down and Daniel provided him with some local fare. Jack dug in, keeping an ear open to the archaeologist's report.

"Well, Siculus revealed that this is where the Thracian gladiators live and sleep. Each warrior gets their own room, set of armor, and weapons. They live within a communal organization and teach each other to spar. Ultimately, they individually work toward becoming the polis' Champion."

"And how do they do that?"

Daniel leaned back against the wall. "Well, Siculus said that the next most proficient fighter replaces the current Champion if they die or are incapacitated in a Challenge. Or they can issue an in-house Challenge and fight the Champion themselves. If they are defeated, they are cast out of the house and banned from living in the polis."

Jack slowly chewed and considered Daniel's words. "Challenges aren't to the death?"

The other man shook his head. "Not usually, but that's up to the polis calling the Challenge. Thrake is apparently a rather bloodthirsty group, as they always fight to the death."

The Colonel was temporarily diverted by the cheerful thought of Delios being offed. "Uh huh…so we are going to watch Delios and the Thrake Champion try to kill each other tomorrow?"

Daniel shrugged his shoulders. "Apparently. I also found out that the other Thracian gladiators fight smaller, less violent bouts before the Champions fight. I guess it's supposed to give them practice against unknown opponents, which helps them train."

"Great, so we get to see a bunch of noobs kick each others' asses, and then the Champs fight. Swell."

"Um, Jack, there's something else I think you should know. I figured out that Sam is Achillia. Which I suppose was fairly obvious given that –"

"What does that mean?" interrupted Jack.

Daniel looked uneasy, and then responded, "I'm not sure. I know it means she has some sort of status around here because of the way I've observed everyone regarding her. And I'm sure that I know that name from something on Earth, but I don't know in what context."

"Hm. And where is she now?"

Daniel appeared to grow even more anxious, but didn't say anything.

"Just spit it out, Daniel."

"Well, earlier I saw her and Delios head into the last room in the hall. But I haven't seen either of them since," admitted the archaeologist.

The Colonel grunted in affirmation and rose from the bench.

"I'm going to get some fresh air."

"Why don't I come with you –"

"No."

Daniel started to protest, but Jack shut him down. "I am going _alone_."

Teal'c arrived at that moment to report on the condition of their room and Jack was able to make his escape while Daniel was distracted.

* * *

The night air was still clammy and Jack hoped for a storm to break the humidity. But the sky was completely devoid of clouds, and unfriendly stars were starting to shine through the remnants of sunset.

The absence of a moon on this planet also got on his nerves. Sure, the stars were more visible, but it only accentuated the fact that they were on an alien planet. He didn't know if it bothered him more to see a strange moon or none at all. Usually he didn't get so caught up in the celestial atmosphere of a planet. Then again, usually he had his team to distract him.

Jack sat down on the lowest step and shifted his pack around until he could rest his head on it. He closed his eyes and tried to transport himself back to his couch in Colorado Springs. He'd spent nearly every night on it since Sam vanished. Daniel would probably tell him he was going to throw out his back sleeping on such an unforgiving surface, but he could have cared less.

The polis around him was quiet, though he could hear some merriment in the distance. This place had to have discovered alcohol by now…any halfway decent society needed the stuff to run properly. Jack wished he could have a few drinks to distract him from the mess he'd landed in.

Movement out of the corner of his eye put Jack on instant alert, and he jumped up to look for the source. For a moment he thought that there was someone on the roof of the gladiators' house, but after staring hard for a while he convinced himself that it had been a trick of nearby flickering torchlight.

Shaking his head at his edginess, Jack picked up his pack, slung it over his shoulder, and climbed the steps to the temple, thinking only of sleep.

* * *

Early the next morning, they were woken by Siculus who insisted that it was time to depart. Quickly packing his gear, Jack joined the contingent of Thracian gladiators gathering in the antechamber. He noticed that they were all wearing light armor and carrying helmets. An electric current ran through the room, clearly generated by the warriors anticipating battle.

He also noticed that both Sam and Delios were absent, which rankled him.

"Alright, when does this dog and pony show get on the road?" asked Jack, impatiently.

Siculus assured them, "As soon as our Champion is ready to leave."

Daniel was still wiping the sleep from his eyes as he asked, "Do you guys have the equivalent of coffee here?"

Teal'c leaned against his staff weapon. "I do not believe your obsession with this liquid to be healthy, Daniel Jackson."

"Are any obsessions really healthy?" inquired Daniel.

"Perhaps not."

Jack's restlessness got the better of him. "Can we tell Delios to hurry his butt up? It can't take that long to put on his Chump hat."

Siculus frowned at the Colonel. "What is a chump?"

Daniel sighed dramatically. "Jack means 'Champ', Siculus."

"And Champ is short for Champion?" asked the Thracian.

"Yeah, it is. Kind of a moniker, I suppose," explained Daniel.

"Then I believe that there has been some mistake," asserted Siculus.

Jack stopped picking at a hangnail and focused his attention on the conversation. "What do you mean?"

"You believe Delios to be our Champion?"

"Of course," answered Daniel.

"Delios is not the Champion of Thracia," explained Siculus, shaking his head.

"Achillia is."

* * *

**A/N:** Before I get a bunch of messages asking how Jack is talking to Hammond at 0630 if the sun is setting…there is a 12+ hour time difference between the SGC and Aeropos. Back in chapter 2 the sun was rising on Aeropos when the MALP arrived, but it was 1900 at the base. Just an FYI to those as persnickety as I am…

Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, alerted, and read this story. You guys are totally awesome!


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Thracia, Aeropos**

"Oh…that's where I remember the name Achillia from. She was one of a handful of female gladiators immortalized in Ancient Greece. Specifically, she was depicted on a marble relief from Halicarnassus."

"Carter is going to fight some unknown thug in less than five hours, and all you are concerned about is the archaeological significance of her name?"

Daniel hesitated, then rushed ahead, "Well, no. But I don't think that we're going to be able to do much to change her mind."

"The hell we aren't." Jack searched the room for the Major. "You know what; I don't get why you aren't bothered by any of this, Daniel."

"I am, Jack. Sam is just as much my friend as she is Teal'c's or yours. I just tend to approach these kinds of situations with a little more tact, than, uh…other people."

"I do not understand the problem." Siculus joined the conversation and prevented Jack from returning Daniel's jab. "Are you saying you do not wish Achillia to fight?"

"No, we, uh..." Daniel took note of Jack's expression. "Well, actually yes, we are. You see, Achillia, er, Sam, was once a part of our team, but she got separated from us on this planet. We've returned so that we can take her back home with us."

Siculus grew alarmed by this information. "Achillia is the best Champion we have ever had. She has already won five Challenges and the skills she has taught us have been better than anything we have previously known."

"I can understand how important she is to your group, Siculus," sympathized Daniel, "But Sam was a member of our team long before she ever fought for Thracia. She was responsible for defending our planet and the entire galaxy, not just one polis."

"But Achillia is the only one of us who can possibly defeat Haephesto," explained the Thracian.

"Who's that?" asked Daniel.

"He is the Thrakian Champion."

The archaeologist frowned. "And why is Sam the only one who can beat him?"

"She is faster and smarter than he. Haephesto relies on his strength to provide the killing blow. Achillia should be able to use her superior strategy to finish him."

"Excuse me, killing blow?" interjected Jack.

Siculus nodded. "Haephesto has killed eleven other Champions in the time that he has been Thrake's Champion."

"Uh…" was all Daniel could manage.

"If you recall from yesterday, I told you that Thrake Challenges are always to the death, Daniel," reminded Siculus.

"Yes, I suppose I forgot that in the face of the impending doom of my friend," Daniel retorted, acerbically.

"That's it. She's not going to do this. Not today. Not ever." Jack started for the hallway leading to the sleeping quarters.

Teal'c fell into step beside him and for a moment Jack thought he was going to stop him. But apparently the Jaffa was equally disturbed by this information, because Teal'c made no move to block him. Daniel was presumably still talking to Siculus in the antechamber.

They reached the farthest room back and Jack pounded on the door. It opened almost immediately, and Delios filled the doorway.

The good-looking Thracian smiled at them winsomely, oblivious to their thunderous expressions.

"How may I assist the guests of Achillia?"

"We want to talk to her. Now, pretty boy."

Delios' smile did not diminish. "She is unavailable until she has properly prepared for today's Challenge."

Jack smirked and then resorted to a different tactic. "Really, because I'm pretty sure she needs the information _about_ today's Challenge that we have obtained."

The alien man's expression changed from oblivious cheer to child-like excitement as he opened the door wider and ushered them inside. "Please, go ahead. She will be out in a moment."

Jack stepped in, but Teal'c remained stationary. "This information is private," asserted the Jaffa. "We will not reveal it to anyone but her."

Delios nodded his head once in understanding. "Then I will leave you to speak with her alone." The Thracian closed the door securely behind his retreating form.

The men visually examined the dim stone room, finding a narrow bed with a wooden crate beside it. A pair of nearly unrecognizable, extremely worn USAF-issued combat boots were piled on top of each other at the end of the bed. Two wooden broadswords hung from their hilts along the wall, accompanied by a crossbow and a dagger similar in style to the sword that hung from Carter's belt. Jack wandered forward and began examining the room's meager contents.

"Way to go, Teal'c," complimented Jack, as he used his boot to lift the blanket covering the bed and peek underneath, "I see you've picked up on the subtle art that is lying."

"I have told mistruths on previous occasions, O'Neill."

"What, that doesn't violate some Jaffa honor code?" He turned away from the bed and invasively pilfered through the pile of cloth tunics on top of another crate.

"What are you doing in here?" demanded a familiar voice from across the room.

Jack turned around to find Sam standing in a previously unnoticed doorway on the other side of the room, her hands on her hips. She was dressed in a darker tan-colored tunic with a blue sash cinching her waist. The sword from before was still at her left side, but the headband was absent, her hair loose around her shoulders. Her tattoo was even more vibrant, due to the sheen of oil coating her skin. Jack wondered if that was a part of her 'preparation' or if the oil was for something else. And the tattoo still intrigued him.

"Well, as we told Dumbo out there, we needed to talk to you."

Sam's glare deepened. "His name is Delios."

"Yeah, well, your boyfriend is rather dense, if you catch my drift."

"Then that makes two of you," she asserted, her hands dropping from her hips to form fists by her sides.

"Oh, really go for the gonads, Carter."

"I could easily kick your ass, gonads included."

"Oh, I highly doubt that."

"Major Carter. O'Neill," boomed Teal'c, nearly spooking Jack. "You will cease this display of juvenile behavior immediately."

Jack wanted to say 'I will if she does', but he figured that would only add support to Teal'c's case.

"I'll repeat my question once more; what are you doing here?" demanded Sam, clearly not phased one bit by Teal'c's scolding.

"Why, to stop you from being an idiot and dying," Jack replied, flippantly.

"I am not going to die. I am not afraid of Haephesto."

But then Jack saw it. It was there for only a fraction of a second, but it was there. She doubted herself; he could see it in her eyes and detect it in her stance. Seven years of working with her under extreme conditions had granted him that small insight into her tells. And right now she was indicating her fear all over her face.

Not so invulnerable after all.

But the uncertainty was gone as quickly as it surfaced. The supremely confident Achillia slid back into control. She pointed at the door they had entered, the silver bracelet around her wrist glinting in the small amount of sunlight allowed in by the high window. "Now get out. We cannot leave until I've finished getting ready, and you're unnecessarily delaying us."

"You can't fight him, Carter. It's too dangerous."

"I have already beaten other Champions and I will defeat Haephesto."

"But why does it have to be you, Carter?" he was almost pleading, not that he'd admit to that, "Why not step away and let someone else fight him? You can come home, right now."

"I have a responsibility to these people. They are counting on me."

"You have a responsibility to the U.S. Air Force, to Earth. We need you." _I need you_.

She closed her eyes and sighed. "That commitment was nullified when I was abandoned here."

"But that wasn't intentional –"

"It doesn't matter how it happened, just that it did!" She shook her head. "This conversation can be continued later. I need to be getting ready."

"That's completely unacceptable, Major. We will finish this conversation now."

She scoffed. "What, are you going to order me to keep talking to you?"

Teal'c spoke up. "Perhaps I might speak to Major Carter alone?"

"What?" barked Jack, turning to face the Jaffa.

"I believe it to be for the best, O'Neill."

"Really, 'for the best'? The best would be if Carter would stop acting like a jilted teenager and start acting like an obedient soldier."

A low hiss issued from the woman in front of him and Jack noticed her left hand tightening around the hilt of her sword. Her right hand re-balled into a fist, the vivid tattoo rippling as the muscles in her forearm flexed. He knew that his last comment had been a little over the top, but dammit, she _was_ acting immature. Or maybe it was him? Either way, this entire encounter had lacked any sense of familiarity or ease, things that he had come to expect from any interaction with Carter. Everything about her was off, everything about this situation was wrong.

Teal'c deep voice cut through his thoughts. "I wish to speak with Major Carter privately. Your presence will be a detriment to the conversation."

Jack's jaw twitched. "That's cold, T."

His teammate's eyes closed for the duration of his usual head bow. "Of that I am aware."

Jack glanced between the Jaffa and his Major, resigning himself to being excluded from their conversation. "Fine. I'll be right outside if you need me." And he stalked out of the room, leaving with one final pointed look back, making his displeasure at his dismissal known.

* * *

Teal'c watched the door close behind his teammate before turning back toward the unmoving woman in front of him.

"Major Carter."

Her response was quick and emotionless. "Teal'c."

"I am pleased to see you are well."

"You, too." Her hand moved off of her sword's hilt and limply hung at her side.

"Do you believe you are sufficiently prepared for battle?"

"No, as I said before, I need you to leave so I can finish getting ready."

Teal'c redirected his query. "I was inquiring about your mental preparedness, not physical. Your physical prowess is readily observable."

Again, she was monotone. "I'm ready."

Her lack of warmth and the brevity of her replies did not faze him, though it did persuade Teal'c to be more direct.

"O'Neill believes your decision to participate in battle to be foolish."

She shifted her stance, indicating frustration and impatience. "Is that what you believe?"

"I believe battle to be an honorable pursuit."

Her shoulders shrugged. When a few moments of silence had passed and Major Carter showed no intention of adding anything, Teal'c felt compelled to speak. "O'Neill and Daniel Jackson, however, remain unconvinced."

Her chin lifted in defiance. "Not my problem."

"Although I believe that you perceive it to be that way, you are erroneous." Teal'c shifted his grip on his staff weapon, observing her eyes watching his movement shrewdly. Her hyper-vigilance made him wonder how her abilities as a solider had changed due to her time with these warriors.

"Oh?" her eyebrows rose.

"Your fate is of great concern to many, including myself, O'Neill, and Daniel Jackson."

Her face hardened and her shoulders squared, but she remained silent once more.

Teal'c voiced a thought that had occurred to him earlier. "Is there an alternate means by which the Challenge may occur?"

"No."

"And you are adamant about fighting this battle?"

"Yes."

"Will you return with us through the Stargate when the Challenge is completed?"

"No."

He raised an eyebrow. "What is your reasoning?"

Her blue eyes flashed. "What would be the point of returning?"

There was a time in which his and Major Carter's communication had relied heavily upon non-verbal cues. Such a bond was greatly appreciated by Teal'c, as he found that many Tau'ri often chose excess verbiage over meaning. But right now her stiff posture revealed little about her state of mind, making this conversation seem forced.

He chose to be frank with her. "I find your behavior baffling."

She cocked her head. "I suppose you might."

"What has transpired that has altered your behavior so?"

Major Carter exhaled audibly through her nose. "It's not exactly been a cakewalk for me here, you know."

Teal'c's brow furrowed. "How would a progression of baked desserts assist you in adapting to this environment?"

A gentle smile formed on Major Carter's lips. "Teal'c, it's an expression. It means that I haven't had an easy time of it, that things have been difficult."

"I understand. Perhaps you would be willing to reconsider returning after the battle?"

He watched her run a hand through her hair before she responded slowly. "I will _consider_ returning, but right now I really do need to finish getting ready."

Teal'c deeply bowed his head. "Then I will leave you to your preparations, Major Carter."

* * *

The Colonel nearly walked into Delios as he stepped out of the room.

"Did Achillia find your information pertinent?" asked the Thracian, sociably, once the door was latched again.

"Absolutely," he asserted, and then crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, glaring darkly at Delios.

Teal'c emerged several minutes later.

"Let us rejoin Daniel Jackson. I will inform you together of the outcome of our conversation."

They sought out their teammate, finding him sitting on one of the stone benches along the wall. Daniel stood as they approached. "So, what happened?"

"Major Carter has agreed to consider returning with us, but only after today's Challenge."

"That's not good enough, Teal'c," responded Jack, immediately.

"It is the only amenable option currently available, O'Neill. She was insistent upon participating in battle today."

Daniel attempted to play peacekeeper. "It's better than nothing, Jack."

"Fine, but I don't like it."

Teal'c looked especially grim. "I did not anticipate that you would."

* * *

**Thrake, Aeropos**

The walk to Thrake passed surprisingly quickly. It was closer to Thracia than Aitolia had been which helped, too. Daniel peppered Siculus with questions along the way, the poor man still completely overwhelmed by the archaeologist's curiosity. Jack listened half-heartedly, his attention mostly focused on a certain stubborn blonde currently leading the group with Delios at her side.

According to Siculus, Haephesto was built like a tank and had on several occasions lopped off an opponent's limb with a single sword stroke. And if that wasn't intimidating enough, the story went that Haephesto had become Champion because the previous Champion had stepped down, probably to avoid being killed by an in-house Challenge. Most poleis declined Thrakian Challenges, settling for forking over a portion of their resources instead of having their own Champions fall under Haephesto's sword.

It seemed that Thrake was a bully polis and Jack hated bullies. In middle school and high school he'd faced his fair share of asinine bastards, and that had probably contributed the most to his desire to join the USAF. After boot camp he could have whipped any of them, and that knowledge was enough to reconcile some of the animosity he felt toward his former tormentors. But only some of it.

Thrake was laid out much like Thracia and Aitolia; the central acropolis housed most of the inhabitants and also most of the polis' activity. The Thracian gladiators marched through the main throughway, which was lined by Thrakians jeering and heckling. Jack was surprised that no one threw anything, but Daniel told him that gladiators were universally revered in this sort of culture, regardless of where they called home.

The parade ended in a large complex at the far end of the acropolis. It certainly wasn't a coliseum, but the elevated seating around the oval shaped, medium-sized arena left no doubt that this was where the Challenge would occur. The Thrakians who had taunted them on their way in quickly filled the benches while the Thracian warriors set up camp on one side of the arena.

Jack wondered how much of an effect marching for three hours would have on the Thracian's ability to fight, Sam especially. The heat and humidity weren't unbearable, but it had to affect their endurance and stamina. But the smaller, non-lethal bouts between the trainee gladiators were finished quickly enough that that didn't play a factor. And more often than not, the Thracians came up victorious. He could see how the USAF moves were giving them the edge, as most of the Thrakian fighters favored brute force over strategy. Siculus easily won his bout, his opponent yielding in the face of better fighting ability.

Even Delios was triumphant, much to Jack's disappointment. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Sam remain unemotional and unmoving throughout her boyfriend's match. In fact, she hadn't said a word or reacted in any way during any of the afternoon's events.

Daniel, on the other hand, had winced every time a blow fell regardless of if it was upon a Thracian or Thrake warrior. Teal'c appeared to be enjoying himself immensely, but Jack supposed he had a unique appreciation of this sort of combat. If he hadn't been so concerned about a certain Champion, Jack figured he would have enjoyed the proceedings as well.

Finally, the last of the preliminary bouts concluded. The Thracian contingent, buoyed by their successes, was jubilant as Sam stepped into the arena. They began chanting 'Achillia! Achillia! Achillia!' as Delios adjusted her armor. Seemingly satisfied with the fit, the Thracian stepped back and looked Sam in the eyes for a long moment. Then he reached out a hand, which she readily grasped, and the pair stepped forward and bumped shoulders, their clasped fists between them. Jack could faintly hear Delios tell her something, but the background noise was too great for him to make it out completely.

"What did he say?" he asked Daniel.

"Uh, it must have been 'bleed well'. Siculus told me that that's how they wish each other luck, I think."

Two other people stepped into the arena from the opposite side; one was probably the moderator and the other was unquestionably Haephesto.

Despite her new musculature and confident stance, Jack had to squelch his distress for his Major as Haephesto stepped forward and dwarfed her. He had to be at least 6' 6'' and built like a locomotive, his arms as thick around as Sam's thighs. His muscles glistened from some sort of oil covering his skin and his armor looked like it had been newly forged and polished.

Sam's armor, conversely, was dented and dinged, showing signs of previous contact. It was also fairly worn, and Jack could barely make out the contour lines of decorative artwork on the back. Even her helmet looked like it had been through the wringer; the blue tassel that fell to the small of her back was frayed and a few chunks were missing completely.

The two Champions stood toe-to-toe and the arbiter positioned himself between them. Jack couldn't see Sam's face because her back was to them and she had to look up to meet her opponent's eyes, but Haephesto was doing his best impression of a jackal.

The crowd settled down, allowing the referee to speak. "As the challenged, Thracia has choice of weapons."

Sam reached to her side and pulled her sword from its sheath, never once breaking eye contact with the beast in front of her. "I choose blades."

Haephesto grinned animally, showing off a set of black, crooked teeth. He removed his own sword from its scabbard and Jack saw that it was nearly two-thirds the length of Sam's body.

The moderator took ten hasty steps back, shouted, "The Challenge begins!", and then scurried away.

Haephesto roared.

Daniel started to Jack's right, Teal'c raised an eyebrow, and Jack gritted his teeth. The Thracians cheered and the crowd joined in.

But Sam never flinched. Even when Haephesto raised his arm high, his clear intention to bring it crashing down upon her helmeted head, she didn't shy away. Instead, with a barely perceptible shift in balance, she rotated out of the way before Haephesto's blade had even passed the top of his helmet.

Oh, how she'd changed from that wide-eyed Captain fighting a Mongol chieftain years ago.

Her body moved lithely, muscles extending and retracting with polished precision. There was nothing choppy or awkward about her footwork, and she pivoted and rotated like she was dancing. Her sword work was even artful but efficient, the strikes of her blade fluid and quick. Jack couldn't help but admire the display of sheer dexterity, despite knowing that with one wrong move Sam could be seconds away from death.

She did not directly assault Haephesto; instead she evaded him, landing glancing blows between his mighty swipes at her. Jack quickly discerned that her strategy was to try to wear her opponent down so that he would make a mistake and she could jab him in something vital.

And for a while, it appeared that that tactic would work. Sweat was rolling off of the large Thrakian man and he was starting to breathe heavily. But despite being a brute, Haephesto was good at what he did, namely, killing people.

He landed a glancing blow to her head and Sam stepped away, dazed. She dodged a quick slash to her side and managed to slice part of Haephesto's exposed forearm. His blood sprayed and splattered across Sam's face. This seemed to revive her, because she suddenly offered a feral smile and growled. Jack didn't know whether he should be alarmed or aroused.

Both hands on her sword's hilt, Sam landed a strong swipe across Haephesto's torso and it was his turn to move away.

She followed him, her wrist rotating inward, ready to unleash a strike to his right side. He blocked her and tried to kick Sam's feet out from under her. He managed to hook her right foot and she tumbled down, rolling out of the way in time to avoid the tip of his sword plunging down into the sand.

Sam allowed the roll to take her a few feet away before she scrambled to her feet again. Haephesto lumbered after her, but she circled him warily. He followed, and each appeared to be taking stock of the other's condition.

Jack glanced away long enough to see that Daniel had his hands up near his chest and was leaning back as if in terror. Teal'c had taken a step forward and his staff weapon was held at the ready. Jack briefly wondered if Teal'c would fire at Haephesto if it looked like he was about to kill Sam. And then he realized that his own weapon was tucked into the crook of his arm, his finger on the safety, and he had his answer.

A grunt from Haephesto drew Jack's attention back to the arena and he saw the Thrakian man backing away from Sam, clutching his left knee. Blood flowed from between his fingers and dripped down to be absorbed by the sand. Sam had nicked the outside of his knee and now she moved in to stab something else sensitive.

But she realized too late that Haephesto was feigning the severity of his injury. Sam could only divert the brunt of his overhand blow with a quick parry. The flat of his blade came crashing down on her right shoulder and the sickening crunch of bone buckling and breaking cut through the heavy air. She staggered back, her right arm hanging useless at her side, her fingers barely maintaining a grip on her sword.

And Haephesto, grinning like a shark ready for blood, reached back and then swung his sword arm down to deliver his signature killing blow.

* * *

**A/N:** So, several of you have expressed concern about not knowing what happened to Sam during her eighteen month period on Aeropos. Trust me when I say that all will be revealed in time…the plot needs to advance on other fronts first.

Thanks again for all the reviews, favorites, alerts, and reading! And thanks to my anonymous reviewers; I cannot send you response messages so this will have to do!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Thrake, Aeropos**

Jack immediately removed the safety on his gun and he could hear Teal'c powering his staff weapon. And although the pair had quick reflexes, neither was going to be fast enough to save Sam.

But then in true gladiator fashion, she saved herself. Sam dropped like a sack of potatoes, rolling to the right as she fell, and landing with all her weight on her injured shoulder. Despite what had to be agonizing pain, Sam managed to continue rolling away from her opponent, tucking her sword into her side.

Haephesto clearly hadn't expected a reaction like that from Sam, or perhaps any reaction at all. His full body weight was behind his sword's swipe, so when he didn't connect with Sam, he stumbled forward. With an angry howl, the Thrakian Champion twisted around and advanced on her, raising his sword again.

Jack had the shot lined up and his finger started to squeeze the trigger when Sam darted around and straight into his line of fire. With a distressed groan, the Colonel was forced to lower his weapon and hope that Sam could take care of herself.

And then she did something that surprised everyone in the arena, Haephesto included, if his dumbfounded expression was anything to go on. Sam flipped her sword into her left hand and began brandishing it with equal ability as she had with her right.

Jack's eyes widened. She was ambidextrous? It had to have been something she learned on this planet because there had been no mention of it in her file and he certainly hadn't picked up on it during any of their time together. And although Sam wasn't as strong using only her left hand, her sword strikes were just as graceful and accurate. Jack was reminded of the adage that said 'a wounded animal is a dangerous animal because it is unpredictable'.

Haephesto looked downright panicky; things apparently weren't quite playing out as he had anticipated. He was no longer attacking and he could only evade Sam's vicious strikes. She continued to push her advantage, using a volley of rapid thrusts and slashes to wear down the larger man.

Sam landed a nasty kick to Haephesto's knee, as if punishing him for tricking her and his entire leg buckled beneath him. The fight looked like it was about to reach a decisive conclusion, but Haephesto took a note from his opponent's book on combat and rolled away. Sam snarled and gave chase.

Haephesto attempted to stab Sam from his position on the ground, but she had apparently been expecting that, because she whipped around her sword and batted his blade aside. A look of pure fury flashed onto her face and she rotated her wrist inward, stabbing downward and straight into Haephesto's throat.

For a moment, no one moved. The only sound in the arena came from Haephesto choking on his own blood, a pitiful gurgling noise.

Sam uncurled her fingers from around her sword's hilt and took two uncoordinated steps backward, her right arm still flopping uselessly at her side. With a sharp exhalation, all the tension left her figure and she collapsed face-first onto the sand.

The Thracians practically jumped forward, rushing out to Sam's prone form, Jack and company directly behind them. Delios was the first to reach her, flipping her onto her back and shoving a vial under her nose. She almost instantly became conscious and Jack guessed that the vial was filled with some variation on smelling salts.

A satisfied grin crept across her mouth and Sam started to push herself to her feet, using Delios for support. All around them the Thracian gladiators were whooping and prancing around, acting like children who had just been told that school was cancelled. The Thrakian crowd was mute, likely still in shock over the death of their once-great Champion.

Teal'c prodded Haephesto's body with the back end of his staff weapon and seemed content that the man was sufficiently dead.

"That was a most satisfying battle," reflected the Jaffa.

Jack couldn't help but grin. "Yeah, she didn't do half bad, did she?"

* * *

**Thracia, Aeropos**

Jack handled the check in with the SGC on the walk back to Thracia. Hammond inquired about their progress, and Jack reported that they would be back within twenty-four hours either way. He didn't trust Dr. Lee's math; if he was wrong they would definitely be stuck, so Jack chose to err on the side of caution.

He also did some deep thinking about how to approach Sam once they returned to the gladiator's domicile. A rather ingenious contingency plan materialized in his mind during the last klick of their walk. He asked Siculus a few carefully worded questions to make sure that what he was going to do was sanctioned under their 'gladiator law'. Teal'c seemed to sense that something was afoot, but he did not question his friend. In fact, he spent a great deal of time speaking in low tones with Delios, though Jack could not fathom what about.

Daniel spent most of the walk hovering around Sam, easily falling back into his role as team mom. She tolerated his presence well, even when the archaeologist tried to insist that she be carried back home.

"It's my shoulder, Daniel, not my leg. I'll manage."

Seeing the two scientists together made it seem like this was just any other mission. Like old times, when one of them would get absorbed by the local culture and the others would have to rescue them. But as they entered the Thracian acropolis to cries of 'Achillia! Achillia! Achillia!' Jack was reminded of just how deeply immersed in this alien ethos his Major had become.

The gladiators seemed relieved to be back at their temple home, although they had maintained their enthusiastic jubilance the entire walk back. Everyone got cleaned up, including SG-1, and a celebratory dinner was set up in the main room of the temple. Sam sat at the head of the table, her right shoulder immobilized by the Aeropian equivalent of a sling.

As Achillia's guests, they were given seats on the benches positioned at her sides. Jack was on her right, Daniel to his right and Teal'c sat to Sam's left. Everyone ate heartily, the events of the day making all of them ravenous. Laughter and conversation permeated the air as the warriors reminisced about their victories.

The revelry had been underway for almost an hour and Sam had yet to say a word. Jack wondered if pain from her injuries, especially her shoulder, was preventing her from being talkative. He observed that she was sitting rather stiffly and had not consumed very much. Or perhaps, he speculated, it was being sandwiched between her old teammates that left her voiceless and without appetite. Either way, he knew that this was not the most opportune moment to force her to speak with him. But the planetary system's magnetic field had set their time table for them, so Jack pushed ahead.

"Carter."

Her eyes flicked his way but she did not otherwise acknowledge him.

"Carter," he reiterated, more forcefully.

She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together before turning toward him. "Yes?"

"We need to talk."

"We are talking."

"No, you're pretending that I don't exist."

She smirked at that, but sadly. "If I was pretending you didn't exist, I wouldn't be talking to you."

"Ack. Stop confusing me. We need to talk about you going home."

"No," she breathed.

He leaned in toward her. "You fought the big ape and won. You said you'd come home with us after that."

"No," she responded reproachfully, "What I agreed to was revisiting the topic of me leaving."

"And?"

"And I'm not going."

He slouched back in his chair. "So, you're making a monumental decision in less than thirty seconds. That seems really logical, Major."

"Logic has nothing to do with it."

"Oh, I can see that."

"I've made my choice."

"No, you've made a rash decision that you'll regret the second we leave. If you aren't regretting it already."

She huffed, but did not respond. Instead she studied his face, her gaze lingering on his eyes.

He continued on, his voice softer. "I cannot and will not let you stay here."

"If Daniel or Teal'c wanted to stay, you'd let them. But because it's me, you won't."

Jack shook his head. "Neither of them are Air Force. You have a duty and responsibility–"

"Really?" she responded, miserably, "You're going to throw around terms like 'duty' and 'responsibility' with me? Can you even name any other officer who was more dedicated to the ideals of the Air Force than me?"

He frowned. "Then there's some other reason. Another reason altogether why you refuse to come home, isn't there?"

Sam looked at him with troubled eyes.

He went straight for the jugular. "Is it Delios?"

And then she did something completely unexpected. She laughed. But it was short and humorless.

"You think that he and I…that he and I are together?"

Jack's expression told her that he did.

She closed her eyes and shook her head. "No, we aren't. Together, that is. He's my advisor, my mentor."

"Really? Because I definitely didn't get that kind of vibe."

"Well, whatever you thought, we're not."

"I guess I just don't get it, then. Why you want to stay."

She looked at him forlornly. "No, I guess you don't."

"Help me understand, Carter," he appealed.

She shook her head.

"Please, Carter. I can't…I don't do feelings. You have to help me understand."

Sam looked like she was on the verge of tears, her face twisted into an inconsolable expression of pain. "I can't," she whispered. "I can't."

Jack desperately tried to think of something to say, anything to keep her talking.

But she turned away and collected herself before he could come up with comforting words. Her eyes were hard and her jaw was set when she looked back at him, Achillia in control once more.

"I'm not going back with you. Don't ask me again."

And the irrationally angry side of Jack surfaced.

"Then I Challenge you."

* * *

The Thracian gladiators had quickly moved all of the tables and benches out of the way, leaving a thirty-by-thirty foot sparring space in the middle of the room. They quietly lined up around the square, some of them sitting on tables, others standing. All of the warriors were murmuring to each other, their tone indicating that they were uncertain about the unfolding events.

Sam stood on one side of the square, Delios next to her. He was trying to talk to her, but Jack doubted she heard anything her mentor was saying. Instead, all of her attention was completely focused on him. Her rigid posture and furious expression left Jack with little doubt that she was pissed as hell at him.

He was on the other side of the square, trying to get limber. Teal'c and Daniel were beside him, attempting to understand what was going on.

Daniel was justifiably upset. "Jack, what are you doing?"

"What needs to be done to get her home."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yeah, I am Daniel. We've got less than twenty-four hours to get back through the gate and the only way to get Carter to come with us is to play her game."

"Uh…and what is 'her game'?"

Jack pulled off his vest and jacket, handing them to a stoic Teal'c. "I Challenged her, so I get to set the terms of when and where the Challenge happens. And that it's non-lethal. If I win, I'm the new Champion."

"Which gets you where, exactly?"

"Well, then I can choose to step down as Champion, and the next best guy will take my place. In the meantime, Carter gets kicked out of the house and she has to come back with us."

"Uh, I hate to point out a flaw in your plan, but what happens if you don't win?" asked Daniel.

"Then we're the ones that get kicked out and this will have been pointless."

"Oh, well as long as that's all that will happen…"

Jack shrugged. "I know it isn't the perfect plan, but it is _a _plan."

"Yeah, how did you know that you could call a Challenge? I thought only gladiators in the house could do that."

"Actually, I asked Siculus about that one. He said that guests of the Champion were allowed."

Daniel looked mildly impressed. "I see you did your homework, Jack."

"Only when it's mandatory," responded Jack, glibly.

Teal'c joined the conversation. "Are you not concerned that Major Carter will choose a weapon with which you lack proficiency?"

"Teal'c's right. You aren't exactly the reincarnation of Achilles," pointed out Daniel.

"She won't," asserted Jack, confidently. "Trust me on this one."

"Why do you say that?"

Jack looked over at his fuming opponent. "She'll want it to be fair."

"Sam is hurt, Jack. Are you sure that you should be risking further injury?" tried Daniel, playing devil's advocate one last time.

"Like I said before, we have a time limit. And ole Doc Frasier will patch her up once we get through the gate. I'll try not to be too rough on her in the meantime."

"Ok, I guess you know best," acquiesced Daniel.

"Yeah," retorted the Colonel, not sounding particularly happy about that fact.

"This does not seem wise, O'Neill," declared Teal'c, "It insults Major Carter as a warrior and as a person."

"I know, Teal'c. I wish there was another way."

The room abruptly became quiet as Delios stepped into the center of the sparring area. He raised both hands and beckoned.

"Champion and Challenger, approach."

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, alerted, and read this story. Your enthusiasm fuels my fingers!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – Thracia, Aeropos**

"As the challenged, Achillia has choice of weapons."

Sam didn't speak for the longest time. She just stared at Jack with a profoundly disappointed look on her face.

"Carter, we don't have to fight," offered Jack, "You can just step down and come home with us. No one is going to think any less of you."

Her eyes narrowed.

"I choose no weapons."

Despite the fact that he'd been right about Sam wanting it to be a fair fight, Jack could not seem to find any joy in that small victory. He glanced down at her sling-restricted arm and felt a pang of regret twist in his gut. This was not going to be pleasant in any way.

Delios stepped back into the crowd of gladiators ringing the improvised arena. With a final meaningful look at Sam, he declared, "The Challenge begins!"

Jack immediately dropped into the comfortable boxing stance he'd developed during his hours of sparring with Teal'c. Maybe if he managed to knock her off her feet and secure her–

Her left hook came out of nowhere and pain exploded across his jaw. Jack faltered and blinked several times in succession, trying to wrap his head around the power of her punch. She could probably give Teal'c a run for his money.

Shaking off the hit, Jack brought his hands back up. Sam started to move to his left, so he moved to the right, and they circled one another.

He feigned to his right and she blocked predictably, allowing him to swing his left foot around to kick her leg. Sam grunted and pulled the leg back, throwing her left fist forward again. Jack had anticipated her reaction, so he dodged and used his own left fist to land what he hoped was a light blow to her midsection.

Apparently it had been too light, because Sam was not even fazed. She drove her injured, right shoulder into his face and he grabbed her torso as a reflex.

Finding himself unexpectedly with an armful of Carter, Jack's brain mutinously began to turn to mush. That was, until Sam decided to kick him sharply in the shin. He could hear all the spectators groan with him as he released Sam and staggered backwards.

Instead of taking advantage of his momentary incapacitation, Sam just moved away. Feeling less charitable, Jack rushed her, trying to wrap his arms around her upper body. Sam wriggled away, conking her head against his in the process.

Jack switched back to his original plan and tried to connect his foot with the back of Sam's knees. He succeeded, but she rolled with the hit and came up a few feet away. She got to her feet somewhat clumsily and Jack stepped forward immediately, thinking that he might be able to get her back down if he acted quickly.

Sam had other ideas though, and tried to kick him in the hamstring, but he blocked her foot. She threw another punch with her left hand and connected with his temple. Jack felt dizzy for a moment and Sam took the opportunity to roundhouse kick his ribs.

All the air went out of his lungs and Jack gasped for breath. Sam darted away, favoring her right side. A quick examination of her figure told him why. The fresh scar on the top of Sam's right arm had split open and blood was soaking through the sling. Jack grimaced and tried to squash down his guilt. This was not going as planned; he'd intended to incapacitate her, not bloody her up. This fight needed to end right now.

Jack waited until Sam had retreated another foot. He used the distance between them to build up speed, then surged forward and tackled her. They hit the floor with a loud thump, Jack trying to cushion his Major's head with his hand.

A soft cry of pain from beneath him caused Jack to pull back in alarm. Sam lay unmoving under him, eyes closed, and he instantly regretted having her break their fall onto the stone floor.

"Carter?" he ventured.

Her eyes snapped open, glistening with unshed tears and pain.

"God, Carter. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," Jack choked out.

She exhaled sharply and then inhaled deeply, her expression clouding.

Before he could react, Sam simultaneously kneed him in the groin and used her left hand to push against his right shoulder. He flipped over onto his back and then onto his stomach as Sam rolled with him. She settled her hips down onto the small of his back, knees trapping his arms alongside his body, and the heel of her hand pressing just below his neck.

"Yield," she growled.

Jack tried to buck her off but she tightened her thighs around his torso. He kicked back with his heels, but she was sitting too far forward. There was no way for him to gain leverage. Sam leaned toward him, using her elbow to poke between his shoulder blades.

"_Yield_."

He'd underestimated her. And he'd lost her.

* * *

**Campsite between Aitolia and Thracia, Aeropos**

The Thracians had only been too happy to see them go. Daniel had tried to push past a group of them to get to Sam, but they successfully barred him from her retreating form. He struggled against the burly men, calling for her, but she never turned around. Teal'c had merely watched the scene unfold from the sidelines, but Jack was certain he saw grief in the Jaffa's face.

Oddly, the only Thracian gladiator that had not seemed overjoyed at their departure was Delios. He had not been smiling at all when Sam got up and walked away from Jack. And he frowned when she ignored Daniel's protests.

As Jack was descending the steps outside of the gladiator's temple, Delios called out for him to wait. Daniel and Teal'c stood by and watched the Thracian approach the Colonel.

"What do you want?" Jack asked, sullenly.

Delios met the Colonel's eyes solemnly. "You fought well but lacked the conviction to defeat your opponent."

Jack shifted his weight. "That doesn't matter."

"On the contrary, it very much matters."

"Well, it doesn't now."

"That is true. But," added Delios quickly, noting Jack's intention to walk away, "Achillia also lacked conviction."

"She beat me, that's conviction enough."

Delios shook his head. "She could have defeated you early in the battle, but she hesitated several times."

"So?"

"She did not want to win."

"And yet she did."

"Be that as it may, she did it unwillingly."

Jack sighed. "Do you have a point?"

Delios looked concerned. "I believe I made it. However, in the event that I lacked clarity, you should consult this." He pulled something from behind his back and showed it to Jack.

It appeared to be a scientific recording notebook, the kind that the SGC used to document environmental data and other general information about a planet. But the cover was seriously worn, the corners rounded.

"What's that?" questioned Jack, despite full well knowing.

Delios smiled somberly. "Achillia consulted this often. She never spoke of her past, but whenever she looked at this, I sensed deep shame and unresolved feelings."

Jack tried to interject, but Delios continued speaking, pushing the journal into the Colonel's hands.

"Achillia would bring this with her during her times away in the woods. Although I could never read it, I always believed it to be of significant importance to her. And perhaps it is that which you require to understand." With a final hand gesture to Jack, which he interpreted as a farewell, the Thracian turned and walked back up the steps.

* * *

Night was already well under way by the time the three men left Thracia, but Jack still led them on an extended march. It was early morning by the time they reached the outskirts of Aitolia. Jack ordered them to set up camp and received no argument. Tents were put up and a fire built in silence. They were only going to stop for a few hours, because they had to be back through the gate within six, and they still had another three hour walk to the gate.

Jack sat with the notebook in his hands beside the campfire, taking first watch. He considered the cover, the recognizable seal of the SGC barely discernible due to wear. If the notebook hadn't been of the write-in the-rain variety, it probably would be in about ten pieces by now. As it was, the binding was broken in two places and the cover bent in, like it had been slammed against a hard surface.

"Is that what Delios gave you?"

Jack looked up to see Daniel stepping out of his tent.

"Yeah."

"You going to read it?"

"Thinking about it."

Daniel sat down beside Jack. "Do you want me to read it to you?"

Jack looked over at the archaeologist sharply but realized that he was kidding. He turned back to watch the fire.

"You know, Jack, if that is Sam's it might explain some things."

"Yeah."

"And we still have time before the gate is blocked to go back for her."

"I know."

"So? Why don't you read it?"

But whatever Jack's reply, it was drowned out by the distinctive sound of a death glider overhead.

* * *

**A/N:** I readily ascribe to the belief that Jack's time in Ba'al's sarcophagus healed his bad knees and other ailments. After all, how many arthritic, hunched Goa'uld did we see on the show? So, while Jack is not a spry twenty-something, I do believe that he is no longer plagued by some of his recurring injuries. And thus the reason why he wasn't hobbling around during his fight with Sam.

Thanks to all who have reviewed, favorited, alerted, and read this story!


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 – Thracia, Aeropos**

Sam sat on the roof of the gladiator's temple, her left arm wrapped around her knees, tucking them into her chest. Her head rested against a stone slab at her back, her eyes looking straight ahead, unfocused. The cool night air gave Sam goosebumps and insects buzzed around her face, but she didn't notice. It could have started thunder storming, complete with lightning and hail and still she would have remained, steadfastly focused inward.

She could not look past the fact that he had Challenged her. The Colonel could not possibly understand how betrayed she felt. He would always see her as a subordinate, never an equal; always his faithful, order-following, perfect Major Carter. But why should that surprise her? Jack O'Neill was hardly the type of person who saw beyond the tactical value of people.

And it was easy to see why he did it. The Colonel had always chosen direct, confrontational means to get what he wanted. Aliens want to play hardball? Verbally insult them and then blow them away with explosives. Think that someone doesn't deserve to live? Close the iris on them. Don't agree with a society's customs? Do it your own way and then let everyone else scramble to deal with the repercussions. He was like a small child who threw a temper tantrum anytime something did not go his way. She should have expected that he would think he knew better than she did when it came to staying or leaving.

But she was not some senseless dolt who required rescuing. And he had been so arrogant and presuming to think that she would be too tired and too injured to win. She had always wondered what he really thought of her as a soldier and now Sam supposed that she had her answer. Despite being visibly stronger than ever before in her life, he had still assumed that he could easily beat her. Her first punch had been thrown in anger at that thought, before she had had the sense to reign in her temper. Bastard.

But most of all, after all they'd seen and done together, she couldn't believe that he would have the will to hurt her physically. But he had, and then tried to apologize for it. Like saying he was sorry would nullify all that had transpired. Only he would think that he could browbeat his way into a situation and then use an apology to set everything right again.

Sam looked down at her right arm, nestled between her knees and chest. Delios had set her clavicle before dinner, but during her fight with Jack she'd re-fractured it, and it had had to be set all over again. She knew that she would not be able to use her right arm for a few months, which was inconvenient. But she'd already proven that she could fight one-armed, so Sam was not concerned about any Challenges during the healing period.

She looked out at the horizon, toward Aitolia and the gate. Had they walked the whole way back or stopped somewhere along the way for the night? Sam closed her eyes and sighed in exasperation; it shouldn't matter to her what they were doing. They would be going back to their lives, and she would be continuing on with this charade.

With a strangled cry, Sam pushed herself to her feet and walked to the edge of the temple carefully, mindful of the roof's slant. The sky was just starting to get lighter in the distance, signifying dawn's arrival. It had been yet another sleepless night for her, one of so many. Delios was going to chastise her for not being mindful of her health, but she couldn't bring herself to care. At least not right now.

A muted humming drew Sam's attention down to her left wrist. The silver bracelet she'd been given the day she became Champion was glowing. She brought it up to eye level and stared with unchecked fascination at the illuminated symbols. _What the hell_…?

Sam hurried over to the ladder propped against the side of the roof and nimbly climbed down, intent on finding Delios for an explanation. Had she remained on the roof for just thirty seconds longer, she would have seen the outline of a death glider drawing nearer.

* * *

**Campsite between Aitolia and Thracia, Aeropos**

Teal'c was out of his tent and his staff weapon charged before Jack was even standing.

"Was that what I think it was?"

Jack glanced at Daniel. "Either that or they've got some wicked good mockingbirds on this planet."

"It was indeed a Goa'uld death glider, O'Neill. And possibly a Tel'tak," informed Teal'c.

"Oh, so not good. Where the hell did they come from?"

Daniel frowned. "Do you think the gate is still secure?"

"Well, only one way to find out. Get packed up, double time," ordered Jack, "We are going to be in trouble if the gate is blocked; our window closes in just under four hours and we still have a good three hours of ground to cover."

They had just started walking when Daniel piped up. "Uh, Jack…what about Sam?"

The Colonel did not break stride. "She made her choice."

"But she has no idea of what's going on."

"And neither do we until we get to the gate and assess the situation."

That kept Daniel quiet for all of ten seconds. "We could split up; one of us could check on the gate and the others go get Sam."

Jack stopped and turned around. "No, we're not splitting up, Daniel, there isn't time. And if the gate isn't secure then it won't matter if we have her or not. We check the gate first, and then discuss other options."

"I concur with your decision, O'Neill."

"See, even Teal'c thinks I'm right. Now let's go."

* * *

**Thracia, Aeropos**

"What do you mean, it's time for 'the calling'?" demanded Sam, confused by her mentor's agitated behavior.

Delios raced out of the room instead of answering, leaving her holding the still-glowing bracelet. Resisting the urge to pout, Sam followed after the sounds of the Thracian waking her fellow gladiators. They crowded the hall, still lethargic from the previous night's festivities, impeding her progress with their angular limbs.

She finally caught up with Delios at the end of the hallway. "What's going on?"

He looked at her with wide eyes. "Quickly, you must choose the six best."

"Six best what?"

Delios gestured toward the mass of Thracians.

Sam was completely baffled. "Six best fighters?"

"Yes," insisted Delios. "Choose now."

"But why?"

"It is the calling. _Choose_."

"Delios, you're not making any sense. What is 'the calling'?"

He huffed impatiently. "It is when the Champion and the six best are called to lead."

"Lead what?"

"I know not what, but you must be ready before sunrise."

Sam couldn't recall the last time she felt this perplexed. But she trusted Delios and had for some time. "Uh, ok." She pointed out the Thracians she considered to be the most skilled warriors. Delios quickly ushered them and Sam to the center of the main hall.

He took the glowing bracelet from her hand and looked Sam in the eyes. "Who do you choose as Champion in your absence?"

Sam hesitated. "How long am I going to be gone?"

Delios shook his head. "I know not. The calling has not occurred in my lifetime. But you must–"

"Choose, I know," asserted Sam, wearily, the lack of sleep and recent stress suddenly adding layers of fatigue to her frame. "Then I suppose you should be Champion again. If that's alright with you, that is."

The Thracian performed a half-bow. "It is, Achillia." He stepped forward and placed his hand on her uninjured shoulder. "Please know that it was my honor to train you in the ways of the blade."

Sam smiled through her puzzlement. "And it was my honor to learn."

The bracelet's humming reached a new pitch and Delios stepped back.

And his melancholic expression was the last thing that Sam saw as she and her chosen gladiators were beamed away by a set of rings.

* * *

**Aeropian gate**

The gate and the surrounding area were coated with Jaffa. They clanked about in organized battalions making it easier for Jack to estimate their number. And no matter how he counted there were simply too many; there was no way that they were going to get to the gate. Briefly, Jack worried about being trapped for eighteen months with only Jaffa for company, but he stifled that fear. No sense worrying about something that hadn't come to pass. Yet.

Daniel identified the shape of their forehead tattoos as the quadriga, which technically didn't give them any new information because they'd never encountered Ares previously. Teal'c reiterated his assessment of Ares' penchant for impulsive assaults and that he had been a subordinate goa'uld to several different masters. His current allegiance was unknown to the Jaffa.

Jack was about to order them to fall back to consider other strategies when the distant whine of goa'uld spacecraft saturated the early morning air. Dozens of death gliders escorted eight Tel'taks to the clearing near the gate. They hovered for a moment, waiting for the ground forces to vacate the area. And then eight sets of rings began transporting frightened, tunic-clad people to the ground.

"Those are gladiators," whispered Daniel in shock as Jack reached the same conclusion.

And instantly his stomach plummeted. He frantically scanned the crowd of people being moved out of the way by the Jaffa and could not find anyone with blonde hair. He almost sighed in relief, but the rings dropped another group of gladiators into the clearing. And then he felt like he wanted to be sick.

She stood out like a firefly on a moonless night, her agile figure readily distinguishable amongst all the muscular bodies. And Sam wasn't taking any flak from the Jaffa trying to move her into position with the other gladiators. She shoved back, so one of them backhanded her and she plummeted to the ground. They hauled her to her feet and pushed her into a group of well-guarded Aeropians only fifty feet away from Jack's position. The Colonel watched as she quickly found her companions and began quickly muttering to them and gesturing sharply with her hands.

Daniel groaned beside Jack. "What now?"

Jack looked over to Teal'c, picking up his apprehension. "Any ideas?"

The Jaffa scanned the scene in front of him. "Not presently. There appears to be no way to successfully retrieve Major Carter at this juncture."

"Yeah…I kinda assumed that," sniped Jack.

Teal'c ignored his sarcasm and focused on something else. "O'Neill, I believe that something important is about to occur."

Jack looked back at the assembled Jaffa and noticed that they were no longer marching about. Instead, they had closed ranks and were standing at attention.

A rumbling, modified voice sounded throughout the clearing. "Kneel before your God!"

Everyone went down on one knee, Jaffa and gladiators alike. Everyone except for Sam, the Thracian gladiators, and an armored man in a red cloak standing near a grounded Tel'tak. The sunlight glinted off of his right hand and Jack realized that the man was wearing a hand device.

"Oh, God," exclaimed Daniel under his breath, "That's got to be Ares."

The goa'uld stalked over to Sam, clearly incensed. His cloak snapped the air behind him.

"You will kneel before your God!"

Jack watched in dismay as Sam merely smirked and then declared, "I kneel for no man, and neither do my people."

"I am your God, you will kneel before _me_!"

She rolled her eyes. "And I especially don't kneel for assholes who pretend to be gods."

The goa'uld's eyes glowed menacingly. Ares' left hand darted out and his fingers wrapped around Sam's jawline. He pulled her toward him and carefully studied her face.

"I sense a presence within you."

Sam said nothing, but her eyes narrowed.

"Explain," demanded Ares, "Now." His grip on her jaw tightened.

Sam opened her mouth and appeared to be about to speak, but she made a guttural sound instead. And then promptly spit in the goa'uld's face.

There was no sound in the clearing for several long moments. Jack could only stare flabbergasted at Sam; what in the hell was she playing at?

And then Ares smiled cruelly and raised his right hand above Sam's forehead. A glow begun to emit from his hand device.

"I believe that you and I will enjoy spending quite some time together."

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks to all who've taken the time to review, favorite, alert, and read this story!


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11 – Aeropian gate**

"Oh, that's the last thing that's going to happen. Get your nasty, snake-head hands off of me," was Sam's instantaneous response.

She had to have a death wish; there was no other way to explain her brash behavior. And all Jack could think to do at the moment was gawk at the ludicrousness of the entire situation. His Major was taunting a goa'uld…had _spit_ in his face. Until about thirty seconds ago, he would have bet his entire Simpsons collection that he would be more likely to do that than stalwart Samantha Carter.

Although, he mused, this hardcore tattooed warrior princess thing she had going wasn't exactly familiar territory.

The hand device pulsed and Sam let out a strangled moan, her head lolling backward. Ares took advantage of her momentary incapacity and pulled her limp body against his roughly. He lecherously smelled her neck, his eyes closing and his nostrils flaring as he rubbed his cheek against Sam's jaw.

Jack-the-USAF-Colonel had to restrain Jack-the-enraged-man until he no longer had the primal urge to beat the goa'uld's head so deep into the ground that they wouldn't even find bone fragments. Despite the dire nature of the situation, this was no time to lose control. He still needed to find a way to grab Sam and get them all through the gate. Without getting fried by staff blasts. Or being dismembered by a madcap goa'uld. Riiiiiight…

Ares pulled away from Sam's jaw and roughly grabbed her face, twisting it side to side. He frowned, and then his eyes widened and flashed. "You…you are of the Tau'ri."

Jack heard Daniel emit a worried groan beside him.

The goa'uld continued to examine Sam, this time pulling her jaw down so her could look directly into her eyes, his own face centimeters away. Sam blinked several times slowly, still too stunned from the hand device to resist. Ares began to grin, and Jack's gut churned. "You are the one who once hosted a Tok'ra. That is why I detected a presence." He released her face but continued to invade Sam's personal space. "I suspect the remainder of your team is lurking nearby, yes?"

Sam glowered mutely at her captor, refusing to give away her teammates, despite her obvious discontent with them.

Ares turned to face the men and soldiers surrounding him. "JAFFA! Take my new Drakon warriors to the Ha'tak, and prepare Eris for my arrival. Find the remaining Tau'ri and kill them," he commanded, shifting a squirming Sam around until he could press something on his hand device. One of the hovering Tel'taks swiftly moved over the pair and rings descended, pulling Sam and the goa'uld into the ship.

Frantic hand signals to his left drew Jack's focus away from the Tel'tak.

"We have to get onto the Ha'tak," mouthed Daniel.

"No shit, Sherlock," snapped Jack in a forced whisper.

The archaeologist appeared to ignore his asinine comment. "Can we sneak onto one of the other Tel'taks?"

Jack looked over toward Teal'c, expectantly. "Well?"

"I believe for such a plan to be successful we would need to circle around," advised the Jaffa, continuing to scan the area. "However, it is unlikely that we will be able to sneak aboard unnoticed. These Jaffa are too regimented and the Tel'taks are too far away from cover."

Jack let out a short breath and flipped the strap on his watch. "We have less than thirty minutes left. Any other ideas, Teal'c?"

The alien voice was grim. "We have limited resources and little chance of moving among these Jaffa without being observed, especially since they are seeking us."

"So…"

"So, it looks like we are out of options," concluded Daniel, dejectedly.

Jack's response was gruff and swift. "There is _always_ an option. We just need to think."

"What about grabbing a couple of Jaffa and sneaking onto a Tel'tak in their gear?"

"I meant good options, Daniel."

"Jack, if you would get your head out of your ass and stop reacting so emotionally – "

"And if you would stop throwing out unhelpful ideas – "

Teal'c low voice cut both of them off, "O'Neill, Daniel Jackson."

Both men turned away from one another and toward the Jaffa, who inclined his head toward the clearing. "Observe," he directed.

Four Tel'taks, including the one that held Sam, had already ascended into the atmosphere and disappeared from sight after ringing up several sets of gladiators. Almost all of the Jaffa squadrons were on the ground, several still in formation, with the others starting to search the surrounding area. None of the Jaffa were searching close to their position, but Jack knew it was only a matter of time before they were made.

"We are running out of ships to sneak onto," Daniel warned, unnecessarily.

Jack clenched his jaw. "We need another option for infiltration."

"A suicide mission will not help Major Carter."

"I know, T."

"There is no shame in a tactical retreat, O'Neill."

"I know."

Daniel interpolated with, "And if we get trapped while we try to avoid the Jaffa, waiting for them to leave…"

"Then we are going to have a while sit around and think about what we should have done," finished Jack, "_I know._"

Gladiators and Jaffa continued to disappear from the clearing, and the patrols crept closer, while Jack tried to think of an alternative rescue option. But his usually apt tactical acumen evaded him, and all he could focus on was the fact that Ares had kidnapped his teammate. It did not matter to him that she had refused to return with them, Carter was _his_ Major, not a goa'uld's curiosity. It filled him with unrelenting anguish, knowing that she was so close, but being helpless to do anything to resolve the situation. And not for the first time, he reluctantly admitted to himself that his field competency was being compromised by his emotional attachment to a member of his team.

"Jack."

"What is it Daniel?" whispered the Colonel, harshly.

"I hate to have to point this out, but we need to make a choice. Either we take on a bunch of Jaffa or we go back through the gate where we can take the time to strategize and contact allies. I don't like option B any more than you do, but we don't want to be trapped here. We can't be any good to Sam that way."

Jack looked over to Teal'c. "I agree, O'Neill."

"Fine," acquiesced Jack, "But there are still too many Jaffa out there and they don't look like they're in any rush to leave."

"How much time do we have left before the gate is unusable?" asked Daniel.

Jack flipped the strap on his watch again. "We're down to twenty minutes." He glared out at the field, not wanting to make the call, but knowing he was the only one who could. Their escape route was closing as the Jaffa patrols encroached on their position, and there was no way to save Sam, at least, not here and now. "Guess it's now or never. Let's go to the gate," he ordered, reluctantly.

And the three men withdrew from their position, the Colonel lingering for just a moment longer, swearing to himself that this would be the last time he would have to leave Carter behind.

* * *

**Ares' Tel'tak**

Sam pushed against Ares' torso with her forearms even as the rings pulled them up into the ship. The ringing in her head from the hand device was finally starting to fade. But before Sam could strengthen her attempts to free herself, the goa'uld threw her carelessly on top of a cargo container, re-aggravating her shoulder wound.

Sam waited until Ares' black boots disappeared behind a closing door before moving. Groaning, she flipped onto her back and looked up at the familiar ceiling of a Tel'tak. Sam closed her eyes and gritted her teeth; she had _so_ hoped never to see the inside of one of these things ever again.

Careful not to put undue stress on her aching shoulder, Sam pushed herself into a sitting position, letting her legs dangle over the side of the cargo container. She was surprised to find she was alone in the cargo hold. After being packed into the last Tel'tak with thirteen other gladiators and their Jaffa guard, the sense of emptiness was overwhelming. Plus, there wasn't anyone she could vent her frustration on, gladiator or Jaffa alike.

Back in Thracia she had been instantly furious as she recognized the white flash of ring transport. Sam really, really detested walking into traps, especially of the goa'uld persuasion. But it wasn't like she hadn't asked the Thracian gladiators, especially Delios, about Ares and the goa'uld. She had quickly discerned that it was a taboo topic, and she had never gotten a straight answer from anyone about Ares' existence or presence on Aeropos. Which explained why the dastardly snake had had to use bracelets and a story of 'the calling' to deceive his subjects into compliance.

And now she was yet again the potential plaything of another goa'uld. Sam rolled her left shoulder and got to her feet, intent on exploring the space around her for a weapon. But besides the sealed cargo container that had served as her seat, there was no other equipment aboard the Tel'tak. With an exasperated grunt, she kicked the side of the container and then unceremoniously plopped down onto it to wait.

A few minutes later Sam felt the cargo ship decelerate and then stop. The sound of the Tel'tak setting down followed, and she stood up, ready to take on whoever was coming to retrieve her.

But she did not get the opportunity to fight her way out because a Jaffa with a zat entered the hold from the front. He fired once without hesitation and she passed into blackness.

* * *

**Gate room, Earth**

Jack exited the gate, Daniel propped between him and Teal'c, and found General Hammond standing expectantly at the base of the ramp. The Colonel watched his CO search behind him for a fourth traveler, but after seeing no one, a resigned expression settled onto the older man's face.

"_Medical team to the gate room._" Walter's voice sounded tinny on the intercom.

"Sir," acknowledged Jack, not bothering to hide his fatigue.

"Colonel, what happened?" Hammond took in Daniel's singed leg. "I thought there was no goa'uld presence on that planet."

"Oh, you know. We got bored and invited one over," responded Jack, half-heartedly.

Janet and two nurses rushed into the gate room, pushing a gurney ahead of them. They loaded Daniel onto the stretcher gingerly, ignoring the archaeologist's protests that he could walk down to the infirmary just fine.

Janet peeled away the tatters of Daniel's left pant leg from around the wound and did a cursory exam right there. "Looks like a mostly superficial injury with a little tissue damage. We'll get it cleaned up and I'll know more."

Hammond nodded in approval, and she and the nurses rolled Daniel off to the infirmary. Jack heard the archaeologist grumble from down the hallway, "It doesn't _feel_ superficial."

"Well, what did happen, Colonel?"

Jack turned back toward the General. "Long story short, we were unsuccessful in retrieving Major Carter, as you can see. We arrived back at the gate to find Ares, the resident goa'uld, and his goons rounding up some of the local people. The Major was included in this group, but we were unable to rescue her. Time was running out for the gate, and we could not wait for the Jaffa to leave or evade them to sneak onto a Tel'tak. Our attempt to escape through the gate was detected and Daniel got hit during our retreat."

Hammond took a moment to process his report. "I see." He looked Jack in the eye, "Alright, get cleaned up and we'll debrief in an hour. I trust that we can do this without Dr. Jackson?"

"Yeah, but I will check with him beforehand to make sure he doesn't have anything important to add."

"See that you do," ordered the General.

"Yes, sir," responded Jack with a sloppy salute, and handed his weapon to the waiting airman. He started follow Teal'c down the hallway toward the infirmary, but paused when he heard Hammond's disappointed sigh. Jack looked back over his shoulder and watched as his CO gave the gate one final somber look before turning and exiting through the opposite blast door. It seemed that the General was just as disheartened as Jack over the mission's outcome, and would likely be more so after hearing the particulars. And the Colonel never relished being the bearer of further bad news.

* * *

**O'Neill residence, Earth**

The debriefing had been mercifully short, the General obviously sensing more than just physical exhaustion from Jack. Teal'c was his usual stoic self, only relaying observations and information, so the Colonel couldn't be certain about the Jaffa's feelings on the failed mission. His own head was a whirlwind of images, thoughts, and emotions. The last few days felt like a bad dream, though Jack had a gut feeling that the nightmare had only just begun.

Hammond had asked several questions about Sam's actions and motivations, most of which Jack couldn't answer. Why didn't she want to return to Earth? Why was she so confrontational when Ares approached her? What happened to her during the last eighteen months?

Jack had offered up some of Daniel's explanations, mostly about Sam being shocked at seeing them and needing time to adjust to the idea of returning. The General had similarly seemed skeptical of this and wanted to know more about both Challenges. Teal'c had supplied most of the details, omitting the part about his disapproval at Jack's choice to Challenge Sam. Hammond had been surprised by the Major's increased strength and combat abilities, and Teal'c had expressed his admiration for her form.

The meeting had ended with the General attempting to infuse some hope into the situation. He commended them for making a wise choice in returning, reminding them that Major Carter was still alive to their knowledge and that they at least knew who she was with. Jack was ordered to take the night off to decompress, preferably off-base. He speculated that the General was trying to give him space to consider all of the questions that had been posed by recent events.

Jack knew that he currently possessed something that might answer some if not all of those questions. He hadn't revealed the existence of the notebook to his CO, despite knowing that he could be severely disciplined for concealing such important information. If it really was Sam's journal, it was too personal for a group of military psychologists to pick through. And Jack felt that he owed at least that much to his Major to keep it from prying eyes.

His eyes were fair game, though. So while Daniel rested in the infirmary with Teal'c watching nearby, and the General attempted to contact their off-world allies for information on Ares and Sam's whereabouts, Jack sat on his couch at home, the notebook on the coffee table in front of him.

He tentatively flipped open the cover, Sam's distinctive handwriting jumping out at him from the first page. And with an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach, Jack began to read.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks for reading, reviewing, and the works! All of you receive virtual hugs.

*****_**SUPER **_**special thanks to MajorSam for allowing me permission to use her rockin' description of Sam as a 'hardcore tattooed warrior princess'.***


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – O'Neill residence, Earth**

The first few pages were filled with technical jargon and extended formulas. Jack could feel his eyeballs starting to glaze over, so he quickly turned the pages until he found one that was primarily text. The occasional calculation still decorated the margins, along with tick marks. Jack suspected they were a way of recording the days and the sheer number of them made him swallow in remorse.

Interspersed among all the entries were several lines of numbers that did not look like calculations. He was not sure what to make of them, but he supposed they had to have a purpose if Carter had written them.

* * *

_Day 2_

_I have been stranded on this planet, P3X-846, for over 48 hours. All attempts to dial Earth, the Alpha site, or any other planets whose addresses I can remember have failed. I can only assume that the SGC has attempted to dial my gate and have also met with failure._

_I have not yet determined the reason why the gate has been disabled. Because of the fluctuations I observed on the DHD and in the event horizon, I am certain that it is my gate that is the problem. Despite testing the DHD with the limited equipment I have available, I can find no obvious problems or imperfections. I will take the crystals out of the DHD tomorrow to examine them for fracturing or other damage._

_In the meantime, I have set up camp by the gate. I have sufficient water and food to last me at least a week, and with some foraging I might be able to stretch that to two. This journal will serve as documentation of my attempts to repair the Stargate and/or DHD._

_On a personal side note, I cannot help but feel concerned about Colonel O'Neill's fate. The event horizon blinked out just as he stepped through, and I fear that he may not have dematerialized on the opposite side. Knowing that gate travel is almost instantaneous provides me with some reassurance, though._

* * *

_Day 6_

_After triple-checking the DHD's crystals, I am now absolutely certain that there is nothing wrong with the DHD. I also ran a diagnostic on the gate itself, and it is functioning properly. Except, of course, for the fact that it refuses to dial. _

_I am aware of the fact that my limited equipment may be preventing me from detecting the true problem. Unfortunately, my laptop died earlier today. I am hoping to develop an interface so that I can directly connect its battery to the MALP's power source. However, I am again restricted to only the tools I brought in my pack. What I wouldn't give for a simple toolbox, just like the one sitting unused in my garage back at home._

_According to my calculations, the approximate distance of P3X-846 from Earth is about a month and a half's travel at maximum hyperspeed. The SGC has probably tried contacting the Tok'ra, but after our recent 'breakup' of sorts, I am not too optimistic. Hopefully, if they cannot render assistance, the Asgard are the next best option. And if all else fails, I am certain General Hammond will let the rest of SG-1 borrow the Al'kesh that the Colonel and Teal'c commandeered to rescue Felger and me. It would be a bit of a journey, but I know that the Colonel doesn't leave people behind, no matter the cost to retrieve them._

_Until rescue, I will continue studying the gate and the DHD, because it's really all I can do._

* * *

_Day 10_

_Today I spent most of the morning trying to manually dial the gate. What I would give for an ounce of Teal'c's strength right now. My whole body aches and I don't even have anything to show for it, because the chevrons refused to engage or lock. Now I am starting to wonder if it isn't something besides the DHD and the gate. I've completely disassembled the DHD several times and there's still nothing there._

_I think my next approach will be to scout out the area. If there is some object that is preventing the gate from working, it is probably nearby. Plus, I am almost out of water. I managed to last this long by collecting rainwater from a storm a few days ago, but I am going to need a more permanent source of water if I am to continue working on this problem._

_I haven't seen any of the local population. During our initial contact, the Aeropians seemed fairly ignorant of the gate and its function. I may have to eventually return to the town we visited, Aitolia, if supply levels drop below sustainable levels._

_This whole situation feels eerily familiar. It reminds me of when I was stuck onboard the Prometheus a couple months ago, trying to determine a way out of the gas cloud. At least this time I don't have a head injury that makes me hallucinate. Although, the company might be nice._

* * *

Jack frowned. She'd had hallucinations? That certainly hadn't been in her official report. Although, he pondered, if that had happened to him, he definitely wouldn't have mentioned it. No sense in getting that straitjacket-loving MacKenzie involved. Psychologists were a sketchy bunch anyway; they all wanted to get inside his head and Jack only wanted them out of it. But, he digressed…

* * *

_Day 12_

_An obvious thought occurred to me last night as I tried to fall asleep. My gate should be able to receive an incoming wormhole regardless of the DHD's status because the dialing gate always provides the energy for a wormhole. So, there must be something preventing my gate from receiving the incoming energy. I've tried hooking up the MALP's power source to the gate to give it even the slightest boost, but to avail. So, it is possible that the naqahdah in my gate is not properly amplifying received energy._

_But this is all just theory. I don't have anything to test the naqahdah, even if I was able to scrape off a fragment from the gate. Once more my lack of instrumentation stymies my progress. And I think I might have completely drained the MALP's battery trying to 'jump' the gate. Which means that my laptop is going to stay dead and I won't be able to make any more models to determine the plausibility of some of my hypotheses._

_Yesterday, I discovered a stream which should provide potable water for the time being. My supply of iodine tablets are down to a handful, despite breaking them into pieces. Eventually, I'll need to boil all my water, which will take extra time and require me to transport the water in larger amounts. I also have only a week's worth of MREs left, so I will need to start foraging more intensely. All of this will significantly reduce the amount of time I can spend working on the gate and searching for a possible dampening device. I am not ready to retreat to Aitolia yet, but I may need to go for supplies in the near future._

_I have also determined that an Aeropian day is approximately forty-seven minutes longer than an Earth day. I guess it really doesn't matter, but it was something to do._

* * *

_Day 17_

_I have searched the area around the gate in a one-kilometer radius, but have turned up nothing. I am considering expanding my search radius, but supplies have reached critically low levels, so it may be best for the time being to walk to Aitolia. I will leave tomorrow at dawn and hopefully return before sundown. It gets creepy around here alone at night, so I'd rather not be walking back in the dark._

_I must admit to being frustrated by the challenge I've been handed. I disassembled and then reassembled the DHD three times yesterday, certain that I was onto something, but my work proved fruitless. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the gate and DHD, from any angle. It __has__ to be something else that's disrupting the gate. Hopefully, I will be able to locate it soon._

_The days feel like they are passing more quickly now, and I sometimes find myself wondering what my teammates are doing. Have they already talked to the Tok'ra and the Asgard? Have either agreed to help? Or are they on their way in the Al'kesh by now?_

_And do they miss me as much as I miss them?_

Boo1 And7 Cae1 And1 Aps3 Aps4 And3 / Ant5 / For1 Ari4 Boo5 Ant4 / Aps4 And5 / Aql5 Boo2 Aqr8 Ant3 / , / Ari5 Boo3 / Ant6 And2 Aur5 And4 Cyg2 / Aqr1 Com5 CMa9 Cap10 Sgr5 / Tau1 Del5 CVn11 Oct6 / Mil6 Oph7 Hor6 Leo1 Peg2 / Men4 Tri3 TrA1 Crv5 Hya5 Lac6 Eri3 Sco3 Ind2 / . / Cnc2 Lyn3 Ind3 / Gem4 / Cha10 Phe4 Her7 Dra1 / PsA10 Oph7 Equ6 Cha4 / . / CMi10 Hor8 Gru1 Cha2 Ret3 / UMi7 CrB2 Mil6 / . /

* * *

"Oh, if you only knew, Carter. If you only knew," murmured Jack, softly. He set the notebook down onto his coffee table and just stared at his Major's scrawl.

Seventeen days after he'd watched the wormhole disintegrate in front of him they'd already had that meeting with Dr. Lee and the other scientists. They already knew that she was completely trapped and that it would be another seventeen and a half months before they could reach her. And she'd been so certain that they were going to rescue her. Jack almost didn't want to keep reading, knowing that Sam would have to eventually admit to herself that they weren't coming.

And he began to wonder if that was why she hated him so much.

* * *

_Day 19_

_My trip to Aitolia was eventless, which I suppose I am grateful for. I traded some non-essentials for a large pottery container and consumables. Now I at least have something with which to move larger quantities of water from the stream to be boiled. And the food should be enough to allow me another two weeks of investigation at and around the gate._

_The 'natives', as Colonel O'Neill would call them, were fairly friendly. A couple remembered me as a part of SG-1, but we did not communicate very much. I chose not to explain my situation as a safety precaution; after all, I can't be sure if they'd try to take advantage of my solitary status. But as I said before, they are fairly ignorant of the gate, so it seems unlikely that they would try to regain possession of it. Better safe than sorry though. _

_I did ask if they knew of any strange technology in the vicinity but received mostly blank stares. One person pointed at my weapon._

_Tomorrow I plan on extending my search radius to two kilometers. If I find nothing I may need to start considering completely disassembling the MALP and trying to jury rig the sensors. Ideally, it would be nice to have something that could monitor the power absorbed by the naqahdah as I dial the DHD, but that may be beyond my ability to construct._

Vol6 PsA10 Cir2 LMi1 Lib1 / For1 Tel4 Per5 Col3 Pyx4 Cha10 Gem1 / Scl4 CrB8 Cas3 Ret3 / Tri4 Eri6 Hya3 / Aur4 Cap9 Cet1 Com7 Lep2 Dor5 Del6 CrB7 Cha7 Mil8 / For1 Cnc6 Cen6 Mon9 Sge6 Vir3 Crt3 CrA10 Com12 Dor1 / . / Nor4 TrA16 Dra2 Mil4 ' Boo6 / Oph3 CrB10 Tuc4 Tel1 Per2 Hyi3 / Mil6 Mon8 CrB9 Dor5 Boo6 / Mil4 Vul5 Crt5 Pup4 / Nor3 Gem2 Cas7 Ser5 Lib5 Ant3 Psc2 Cap9 Hor7 / Com10 CVn8 / Mus1 Lyn2 / Mic12 Sco6 Cha10 Ind3 / . / Aur4 CVn5 / Phe2 Vel2 / CrA11 PsA5 Cyg3 Phe2 Sge5 / Aql1 CrB7 Hor6 Cir7 TrA14 / Nor4 Vul5 / ? /

* * *

_Day 24_

_I found something during my survey today. It is definitely a piece of alien technology. And if I am remembering the symbols right, it is an older form of Ancient. Too bad Daniel isn't here to provide a translation, because I am certain that that would greatly help me understand how it functions._

_This morning the probe I constructed by taking apart the MALP detected an anomalous source of energy about 3 kilometers from the gate. I followed the trail and found a tall bookshelf-sized device nestled between two trees. Its construction is definitely as advanced as any other Ancient technology I've previously encountered. And each tree has grown around a side of it, which tells me that it's been around for a while._

_I will move my campsite to the device tomorrow so that I won't have to hike out to it every day._

_This could be it, the way back to Earth. All I need to do is deactivate it and then I'll finally be able to dial the gate back home._

Cep4 For2 Sct6 Her7 / . / For1 Crv5 Del7 Cen3 Pyx2 / Mil6 Ori4 Ara2 And8 / , / PsA12 Uma5 Cam7 Ret7 Hyi2 Hor8 Cyg4 Aur6 / Cam14 Sco3 Men1 Cha6 / Cet5 UMi8 Cnc6 CVn10 / Mon8 For1 / Scl2 Boo3 And6 For1 CrB8 Cam9 Sge6 Aqr4 Lib3 Ret7 Leo2 / Ant1 Col6 CMa9 Dor5 Cas8 / . / Ant4 Aql1 Sgr6 CVn4 CrA13 Hya2 / , / Del6 / Cha2 Eri5 CVn6 Com12 / Lib3 Cha8 Equ6 CMi3 / For1 Peg2 Psc5 Cae4 Mil2 Ind2 Tri6 / Cas2 Cir6 Lyr2 Boo4 Hyi1 CVn13 Ser6 Gem1 / Col6 Aqr7 Tuc1 / Com11 CrA4 TrA10 For1 Crv2 LMi8 Crt4 Aur6 Com5 Tel3 Phe4 / . / Col5 Lyn2 / Oct3 Cha6 CVn9 Tel11 Mil1 Car2 Boo4 Cnc5 Psc3 / Col7 Aqr5 Equ6 / Men2 CVn6 Mon6 Phe5 / CrB7 Ret2 Crt1 CMa9 Mus1 Vir1 Cyg4 Tri6 / For1 Tel7 Ari2 CVn7 Aur4 Peg3 Tuc5 / Scl6 Vol2 / Hor10 LMi2 / . / Mil6 Oph7 Ara1 Oct3 / Psc2 Cet5 / Mil6 Mon7 UMi8 Ant2 TrA6 / Mil6 Cam13 CVn10 Del5 / Mus1 Ser5 / ? /

* * *

**A/N:** Thank you to everyone who has reviewed, read, alerted, and favorited this story!


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – O'Neill residence, Earth **

The code at the bottom of the entries was starting to bother him. But having a fairly strong inkling of how Carter felt was bothering him more. When he was stranded with Maybourne on the 'utopian' moon, he had run through scenario after scenario, imagining rescue in a myriad of ways. At least Carter had had a gate in front of her, keeping her hopeful. But that hope had obviously vanished.

* * *

_Day 27_

_My first three days of work on the Ancient device have been about as successful as my previous work on the gate. I cannot find any sort of access panel or interface. As far as I can tell, it is only a solid mass of metal, imprinted with symbols. There are no obvious seams or closures, so I have no idea how to access the inner workings. Bottom line, I may have to make my own entry soon if I cannot find a more practical way to get into the device._

_I finished carrying the remainder of the MALP and my campsite to the Ancient device this morning. It took several trips and the MALP components were heavier than I anticipated. But now everything I need is in one place, so I won't have to waste any more time on travel between sites._

_Although I have enough food to last another week, I have started to keep an eye out for game. The woods of this planet are home to some turkey-sized birds and something that is a cross between a moose and a bear. I usually avoid the latter, because I have observed it preying on smaller mammal-like animals. And they are big enough that I am certain that a direct encounter with one would be less than favorable for me. But I think if I did some careful tracking, I might be able to hunt one down. I will try the birds first; no sense in taking the risk of becoming the moose/bear's next target._

_It is lonely in these woods. I have gradually grown accustomed to my new environment during the last month, including the foreign vegetation, organisms, smells, and sounds. But I still feel completely lost some days. This isn't home and it never will be._

Ari3 / Oph7 Peg4 Eri4 / PsA7 / Hya3 Pic6 Her7 Cas10 Uma5 / Sgr7 CrB7 Dra5 Cae5 Tuc1 / Ret3 Oph7 Psc5 / Dra4 CMi9 Equ5 Cam6 Vol5 Boo5 Vol3 / Vul8 Tau2 Cet5 CVn10 / Mon3 Vir2 Tri6 Del5 Oct3 / . / Phe2 Cha8 / Mil6 And9 Cir8 / Crv6 Crt4 Aps1 Lyn3 Dor5 Cir2 Cyg4 Aur5 / Aqr6 Tuc5 / Ant3 Cha2 Equ1 / LMi2 Vir1 Cas8 Car5 Boo4 / Del5 Mon4 Aur3 Ind1 Zet1 Scl7 Nor1 / , / Hyi1 Cam13 CrA15 / Cap11 Cep4 Oct4 Cas7 Cae3 / Tel8 UMi6 For6 Com6 Her6 TrA11 Sct4 CrB10 Eri4 / , / LMi1 Ari3 Mil4 Peg2 / Hya1 Gem2 / Mil6 Men5 Men4 / Tuc4 Ori5 / Gru3 CMi8 For1 CrA2 Pic3 Cep6 Cep7 Cep5 And8 / Pup3 Cep4 Vir5 Sge6 UMa8 Cyg3 Cnc6 For5 Pic1 Hya1 TrA3 Col1 / Aqr6 LMi4 Sgr2 TrA6 Vul5 / . / Cep4 Crt5 / Cir8 Ret3 Mus5 CMi10 Lac6 Her7 Ind3 / Ant3 Nor2 / Pyx1 Hor8 Phe7 Cnc5 Lup1 Lyr4 Sgr6 Cet2 / Col5 CrB4 Mon7 Per2 / Cha5 Oct5 Hyi3 / LMi4 CrB8 Mic4 Per5 / , / Aur2 Ser6 TrA14 Ant5 Her6 / Hor1 Tel2 / Mil6 Dra3 Sgr11 / For1 Ari3 CMa3 Tuc4 Lep1 Lyr1 Pyx2 / Hor8 Ant2 Eri4 Del6 Boo6 Tel1 Mil2 Cen3 Tri6 Cae5 Car4 Cen9 Oph3 Vul9 Lib3 Equ5 Cnc5 / For1 Cen7 Mic5 Sct6 / TrA1 Cha2 CrB10 / Her2 Pav3 Her7 Cir6 Aql3 / Cep4 Crv2 Cap8 PsA12 Zet1 Boo2 Tuc5 / . / Nor4 Mil8 / Per1 Per3 Per2 Vul1 Cas5 Vir5 Cen6 PsA15 Lyn1 Cyg2 – Com3 Lyr4 Ant2 Peg4 Sgr3 Leo2 Hya3 / For1 Boo5 Cas10 CrB9 / Lac6 Cep4 Dor4 Ret3 / Phe2 Tel2 / Dor5 Lib2 Hya3 / Men3 CMa9 Aqr7 / Cae6 Ara1 Mil4 Ser2 / Tri3 Crt4 / Boo4 Cha2 Cen7 Sco3 Cyg5 Gru1 Oph3 / PsA10 Her1 Peg2 / Aur5 Com4 TrA1 Equ1 / Col6 Cas8 For1 Vir5 CrB3 CVn7 / Del6 Sgr5 / Pup6 Cep4 Col4 Pic4 / Cam10 Boo2 Mil6 Ori5 / Mic12 Hyi5 Scl1 Sct4 / Boo1 Cep5 / Cha4 Cap2 Ind2 Cir5 For1 Her7 Lup5 Tau1 Oph4 CMi3 TrA6 / Aur4 Cen4 Sco8 Lac4 Cha7 For1 / Com4 Sge3 CrA12 Aqr6 Lyn3 / . /

* * *

_Day 31_

_I found an extremely faint seam on one side of the Ancient device after spending the last three days hacking away one of the two trees encompassing either side. Unfortunately, the seam is so thin that none of my tools are narrow enough to fit into it. I was hoping that I could use simple leverage to pry open the panel, but without a sufficiently tapered object that will likely be impossible._

_The device continues to give off energy, but my unsophisticated sensor cannot give me any information about the type or intensity. I am considering dismantling my laptop for parts, but I am still trying to drain the last of the MALP's battery into it. I suppose it is stubbornness that is preventing me from pulling apart my last real personal item._

_In the meantime, I have been doing some thinking about the Al'kesh Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c brought back to Earth. We lifted its engine to use on Prometheus, so there is a chance that the USAF is unwilling to de-integrate it for a rescue mission. It __would__ be a rather large sacrifice to put Earth's only spaceship capable of hyperspeed out of commission to come to rescue just one person. I don't know what I was thinking when I assumed that it would be alright for such a sacrifice to be made for just me. Three months is too long for Earth to be without its best defense._

_For the time being, I suppose that I will have to rely on the Tok'ra or Asgard. But knowing the Colonel as I do, they are probably working on a contingency plan in the meantime. Either way, I am hopeful that I will only have another two weeks on this planet, three if there are complications for my rescuers._

* * *

_Day 33_

_I spent yesterday and today chopping down the rest of the tree, fully exposing the left side of the device. The panel remains obstinately closed, and I may be forced to pry it open soon. I would rather not because I suspect that a device like this has safeguards that are resistant to tampering. But without proper equipment, I am left with almost no other options._

_The only other alternative is to remove the second tree and hope that there is a better access point on the other side. It will take several days to do so, but in the meantime I am going to continue tinkering with my laptop. I've been trying to modify one of the MALP's capacitors so that it will store the excess energy without overloading the laptop's circuit board and frying it._

_I have begun a routine of running through the woods each morning as a way to stay in shape. It also helps me to work through possible solutions to my problems with the gate and the Ancient device. Somehow I think I am missing a fundamental piece of information that would explain this entire situation, but I cannot discern what it might be. _

_But the running also helps me forget that I'm trapped here until I am rescued or I figure out the problem with the gate. There is something very freeing about tearing through a forest at full speed, accountable to no one and nothing._

Ant3 Phe2 Pyx4 Ser1 / Lep5 Crt5 Com9 TrA13 And1 Lac6 Del6 LMi7 PsA13 / CrB2 For1 / For1 Car3 Mon6 Her2 And8 CrB4 Hor10 / Tel9 TrA13 / CVn8 Com6 Mil6 / TrA14 CrA2 / Tel11 TrA18 / . / For1 For2 For3 / Sct6 Hyi2 / Cen2 Cyg4 Sge5 Lib2 Sco4 Lac4 / Tel3 Del6 For1 Equ6 / Gem6 / Oph7 CrA6 Vir1 Vel2 / Oct3 Ara3 Mil4 Ser5 Ind2 / Mon8 Cir3 Eri4 Cas8 Cap8 Cap11 / Lib5 UMi7 Dor5 / For1 Pic5 Cam12 Aql5 Cha9 Mil6 Ret2 Dor1 / PsA10 Phe2 Crt5 / Lyr1 Cep2 Vol4 Del1 / And5 For1 / Mic12 Hya2 / Cnc1 Nor2 Tel11 Hor10 Lyr4 Gem5 Ind3 Vel2 Per3 / . / UMa5 Cap2 Pic6 Mil4 / Mil6 Col7 Lup5 / Aqr5 Hor8 Gru1 Phe2 Tau1 / - / Eri3 / TrA11 Mil1 / Boo4 Mic5 Mic8 / Mil7 For1 Ret1 Vel4 CrB13 And8 / And5 For1 / Col6 Eri7 Cae1 Mil4 Sco6 Lyn3 Vir4 / Tau2 Hyi5 Lac6 Del5 Scl7 Mic4 Mic10 PsA10 Mil5 / Sgr6 LMi7 / Aur5 Vel2 Ret3 / Mil6 Cep4 CVn9 Cen4 / Del6 / Mil6 Dor4 Tri10 TrA14 / Oph1 Pup2 Lac6 / Mon2 For1 / Cae6 Mil8 / Tel3 Tri3 For1 Crt5 / . /

* * *

_Day 37 _

_The second tree has been reduced to nothing but firewood, just like its brother. The edge of my hatchet is starting to dull; it was never designed to take this kind of abuse. I've used it to chop down two fifty-foot trees, break up firewood, and occasionally to hack apart uncooperative pieces of the MALP. I probably need to look for something to sharpen it with because it would be regrettable to lose such a versatile tool._

_Unfortunately, there was no secondary access on the other side of the device, just another smooth metallic side. I am now compelled to attempt to force my way into the device, although I once more express my reservations about this course of action. But as I indicated previously, there appear to be no other options available to me any longer. I will attempt it tomorrow._

_If I had to guess which season I'm in, assuming that this planet has seasons and they conform to the weather patterns of Earth, I'd say it is spring. A steady drizzle has fallen since noon two days ago, and it seems to precipitate almost every other day. It makes working outside miserable, but I rather enjoy listening to the drops fall onto the roof of my tent. I know it is just water, but somehow it's pattering against the tent's nylon sounds reassuring._

Vir2 / Aps1 Tel11 / Cam14 Com2 / Ret7 Cha9 Eri6 Ser5 Col3 Pyx2 / . / TrA3 / Mil6 Gem6 Boo6 Her1 / CMa4 / Mil6 Aur6 Sge1 / Mon3 Vir5 Lac6 / , / Com5 Peg6 Pic4 / For1 Scl7 Hyi4 / Lep5 Nor2 Tri10 Equ6 / Dor3 Vul5 For5 Mon9 Cap7 Tuc5 / Sco6 / Cen1 Lib5 CVn3 CVn8 LMi7 Sct4 / Her4 Oph1 Nor4 Cam7 Men5 CrA11 Tuc1 Hor10 Ser5 CrB5 Oct3 Dra3 Lyn1 Phe6 Zet1 Leo2 / Ant3 Del5 PsA12 Ser7 / For1 Mon6 Cnc5 TrA17 CMi7 Ori5 Gru1 / . /

* * *

_Day 38_

_I was correct in assuming that the Ancient device has tamper-proof defenses. An energy barrier now encompasses the entire object. All attempts to render it inoperative have failed. And if that wasn't bad enough, I also managed to fry my laptop this morning when I overloaded my constructed capacitor with the remaining energy left in the MALP. _

_Today has been a complete waste of time and energy. So much for being the foremost expert on gate technology and alien gadgets – I can't even charge a computer properly. And I am embarrassed to admit that I lost my temper and threw my laptop into the nearest puddle. Now there is no way that it will ever function properly again._

Oph3 Pav4 Mil6 / Mic12 Tau5 Cir1 Phe2 / Cam6 For1 / CrB6 Ser6 / Aur4 Dor1 Aqr6 CMi9 Ant3 / For5 Nor4 / Vir2 / ? / Ret7 Oph1 Boo6 UMa7 UMi7 Peg3 / TrA10 Pyx2 / Sge6 Leo2 Mon1 Pav1 Cha8 Scl8 / ? / Lac6 Cep4 For5 TrA1 / LMi5 Oph9 / Gru4 For2 Mic12 Del2 Boo4 Hya1 Tel9 CrB5 Cyg3 / Oct3 Oph3 Mus5 CVn10 / Cet3 Hor1 Cas8 / Scl2 CMa9 Tri8 Vol2 Cha10 Ari4 Her6 / Mil6 Cap7 Vul7 Ret7 Ind3 / Dor1 Boo3 / , / Lyn3 Col2 Sge5 / Men1 Ser2 / . / Tri10 Lyn2 / Del9 Cnc5 Equ5 For1 / - / PsA4 Phe3 Cir6 TrA1 Cap8 Vir5 Vul8 / UMi6 Peg5 / CrA8 Oct5 CMa10 Eri5 Vul1 CVn4 Scl4 Sco6 Tuc5 Peg3 / Dra3 Lyn3 Dor5 / Pyx4 / For1 Cep2 Cet2 Tri8 / Cir7 LMi6 Boo1 Cha3 TrA8 PsA7 Gem5 Cet1 Ser5 Hya3 / . / Hyi1 Cha9 Mil6 / Her4 CrB11 Cir6 / Aql4 / Tel2 Crv4 Tel4 Cnc6 / CMa7 Crv1 Vul6 Vel2 Scl5 Ant3 / Tel1 Hor1 Tuc4 Sgr5 / Lib2 / Phe2 TrA16 CVn6 Ret2 / For1 Col7 Ant5 Tel3 Del2 Del1 / Ari5 Mic5 / TrA10 CMi7 Ind5 Ser5 CrB3 Cha5 Lib3 Ret7 Hya2 / ? /

* * *

_Day 40_

_My progress on disabling the energy shield was hindered by a severe thunderstorm this afternoon, which also overloaded my drinking-water stream. The water is extremely muddy right now, and I am concerned about its quality. The presence of biting insects has also increased exponentially in the last few days, making crepuscular work a nightmare. I mostly just sit in my tent during those times of day, completing calculations and waiting for the heat or the cold to drive them away._

LMi5 PsA10 / Gem6 Lup5 / CMi6 UMa7 Her8 Tel2 Cap8 Cam2 Lib3 Aql5 Eri1 / Oph7 Cnc5 Lac5 Ret2 / . / Del6 CrA10 / Vir3 Crt5 Col5 Lib2 Ant2 Dor1 Mon9 / Tri10 Equ1 / Cha9 For1 / Scl6 Phe2 Gem2 / Tri1 Mil2 Ret9 CVn4 / Sgr6 Del5 Ari1 Boo4 / Gem3 Pyx2 / Dor5 Cam11 And2 / Oct3 CMa9 Pav4 Mil4 / Mus1 Oct4 Car3 Mil4 / CrA12 Ori5 Dor5 / Ant5 / Lac3 PsA7 Cae6 Pup1 Psc2 Del7 Aur5 / Cha9 Zet1 Cen5 Cir3 Mil4 Sgr11 / . / Oph3 CrB10 / Mil6 And9 Boo6 / CVn10 TrA2 Mil5 UMi6 LMi6 TrA6 / Crt4 Dra5 / Cyg3 Ser2 TrA14 / CrA4 Cep6 Vir3 / Mil1 Ind1 Cnc3 Del1 Ser1 / Ori4 For1 For1 / CrB4 For1 / Col5 Dor6 Mic12 ' Pyx5 / Eri4 Ret2 Cas10 Crt4 Hya1 / , / Lib3 Oph8 Boo4 / Tel11 Sge7 Tau4 Mil4 / Cen7 Com12 For1 PsA14 Hyi6 TrA18 Dor1 / Ret3 Crv2 / Gru4 Pyx1 Leo2 Tau2 Mil4 / Lac6 Com2 / Her1 Mil2 Tri10 / Pic4 Oph3 Lep3 / Phe4 Ser6 Cet3 Tel9 CrB3 Cep2 / Tuc1 Hyi4 Tri3 Psc1 / Car6 For4 Hyi3 / Del6 / Mil6 Aql6 CrA15 / UMi3 Crt4 Aur4 Cam12 Cam12 / CrA9 Her1 Equ6 Hor5 Ret7 – Equ8 Del5 Nor2 Dra4 Mil4 Vel2 Dra1 / . / TrA3 Lac6 / Mil6 Lib5 Eri8 / Ori4 Cyg4 Cas8 / Pav4 For1 / CMa6 Lyn2 / Mil6 Col2 Scl8 Cyg6 Sgr11 / LMi4 CrB10 Ret9 Boo3 Eri2 Phe6 Com12 CrA15 / Phe3 For1 / Cyg1 Cep4 Ind1 Aql5 And8 Del5 Leo3 Hor4 Ind3 / Car6 And2 And8 / Tuc1 Oph3 CVn11 PsA6 / Pup1 Vel3 Cha3 Cet1 Lac4 / Mil4 CrB10 Equ6 Pyx1 Cir8 / Tau4 Vul5 And6 UMi6 Cnc3 Del1 Sco6 Ind2 Eri4 / Nor4 Tel4 / Cas6 For1 / Gem6 CVn10 / . /

* * *

_Day 47_

_I was forced to temporarily abandon my campsite when the area flash flooded. Some of the MALP components were washed away, but I managed to at least save my tent, my pack, and some of my rudimentary scanning equipment. I remained at higher ground for four days until the waters subsided. Now I've returned to the Ancient device and soggy ground._

_Daniel would undoubtedly have reiterated some story about ancient civilizations believing floods were signs from their deities. The Colonel would have probably told him that Minnesota, land of ten-thousand lakes, isn't called God's country for nothing. And Teal'c would have just looked confused._

_This whole thing would seem like much more of an adventure and less of an ordeal if any or all of them were here with me. Sometimes I find myself talking aloud to Daniel or the Colonel, almost expecting a response. I'm too old for imaginary friends, but who else am I going to confuse with my 'sciency lingo', as the Colonel would call it? I miss being told to stop working so hard, and to come to the commissary for Jell-O or cake. I miss Daniel making a pot of coffee for us as we stay up all night trying to figure out some new artifact (do I ever miss coffee!). And I miss Teal'c's comforting presence in every situation, his easy way of understanding me when so many others don't. I could even go for a girl's night out with Janet and Cassie, complete with manicures and pedicures and a really bad chick flick._

_I miss them all so much._

Equ1 Vir1 Her7 Oct5 / Boo4 Hyi1 Col2 Peg6 Sgr3 Phe2 / Tel3 Tri4 Scl6 Vel2 Cha7 Cyg2 / Eri3 / Cep4 Cae2 Crv4 Lac4 / For1 Com8 Scl4 Oct3 / Tri8 Phe6 Mil4 Gem2 / Cha3 / Her8 Boo4 Scl8 Ara1 CVn8 Peg3 Equ1 Ser3 / Mic2 CMa3 / Men1 Cyg2 / Pic5 Mil6 Lyn3 / Cha7 Cam13 For1 Ari4 / Sge7 Cnc3 And8 / CrA10 Del5 Tuc4 TrA14 / Mon1 Lyr2 / Cir3 CVn7 Equ5 Tau2 Pic4 Tel9 Oph1 Mon3 Lup5 Her1 Psc2 Pup4 Mus3 / Mil6 Pyx4 Pic4 Hya1 / Mil1 Mil5 / TrA1 Eri1 Aqr1 Men1 Men1 Mus5 Ant3 Crt5 Crv6 / Cha2 CrA7 CVn6 Com8 / Ind3 Cas8 Gru1 Her3 CrA7 Dor5 Lep2 Cam10 / CMi2 / Com5 CrB13 Ret3 / , / Scl6 Phe2 Cnc5 Mil8 / Col7 Lac5 And7 / Pup6 Cen4 Oph4 Vul3 Vol3 / Tel11 Lyn2 / For1 Dor4 Sct6 Vir2 Lup1 Hya2 / Cha5 Nor1 Cam10 / Eri1 Sgr2 UMa9 Sge5 Oph3 / PsA2 Psc3 / Cyg6 Pic4 Tri3 CrA13 Del3 / CMi6 Pyx2 / Cha2 Tel7 Mil1 Boo5 / . / PsA5 / Col5 CVn13 Equ8 Eri8 / Lib2 Cen4 / , / Hya3 Cep2 Oph9 Sco5 Ret4 Lac6 Her2 / Lac6 Cep4 And7 / Vul4 Vir3 Phe3 CrB7 Ret7 Tel4 Tel11 Gru4 / . / Pyx4 / Mil6 Peg4 CVn8 Ser6 / PsA10 UMa8 / Hor7 Col2 / Hya1 Mic8 Nor4 TrA18 / . /

* * *

Jack closed his eyes and bowed his head. How many times had he regretted not waiting until she'd actually reached the event horizon before he stepped through? Maybe they both would have ended up stuck, but at least she wouldn't have been alone.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks to all who have reviewed, read, alerted, and favorited my story!


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – O'Neill residence, Earth**

_Day 51_

_While running this morning, I realized that a field frequency modulator should be sufficient to disrupt the energy shield around the Ancient device. Now all I need to do is make one. Most of the necessary components I can get from the remnants of the MALP, but some of the pieces I need were washed away during the flash flood a few days ago. I'll need to locate them first, which will take an indeterminate amount of time. And I will also need to repair my laptop, which is likely permanently destroyed from my previous thoughtless actions. But at least I have a plan._

_According to my calculations, once I have all of the essential parts it will take me a month and a half to construct the modulator and another week to fix my laptop. This is of course assuming no delays and that I can find all the components that the flood washed away. I am hoping to be rescued any day now, but this will at least give me something to do besides throwing things at the energy shield and watching them bounce off. Although, I feel like the Colonel would approve of my choice of recreation._

_By my estimation of the difference between Earth and Aeropos day lengths, the Colonel's birthday is tomorrow. Daniel and Teal'c usually need me to remind them of it; I hope they remember and make Colonel O'Neill an extravagantly decorated cake with extra frosting. Or buy one, like I usually have to. Last year, we all met at his house and ate pizza and drank beer until after one in the morning. It was one of those precious few times when the world wasn't in imminent peril and all of us were in one piece._

CrB11 CrB12 CrA10 Del5 Ori1 Tri9 Gem1 Cep4 / UMi6 / And6 Vir2 Equ8 Lep5 / Cen5 Cam5 Hor5 / Hor6 For1 / Gem3 Pxy2 / PsA10 Del2 Com4 LMi4 Men1 TrA11 Oct3 Mon6 Ari5 / , / Phe6 / UMi9 Cen2 Cha5 Vul8 Cha7 Lyr2 / Mus1 Tri3 Boo6 Cam14 / Ret3 Oph7 Cas8 / Dra4 And5 Col3 For2 Tuc5 Cae3 CrB12 / CVn13 Cir6 / Pic4 Hyi1 Aur4 Sge1 / Mic9 Cam12 Col7 Cen1 Cnc5 / . / Hor1 Ser5 / Com4 Cam12 Mil6 UMa6 Pyx2 Cyg6 / Hor1 Oct4 Dor1 / Cha5 / Mil6 Dra3 Cyg2 / Vir5 For1 / Com13 Cet2 Boo5 CMa4 Eri6 Aur5 / Sgr6 Phe2 Cet2 / CrB12 Boo2 Vol5 Tri6 – TrA1 Ari4 TrA15 Mic1 / Nor4 Aur4 Aqr8 Aps4 PsA5 Hor2 Ser6 / , / CrB7 Cap10 Ret3 / Mon5 LMi7 Aur2 CrA13 Hya3 / Lib3 And4 Cha8 Peg4 Mil4 / Oph4 Sgr6 / Eri4 Leo3 Mil6 Gem5 / PsA2 Ind2 Sge5 Mic8 / Mus1 Tuc4 Eri6 Crt3 Aur5 And7 Dra3 Col6 Del3 TrA18 / Lac3 Her1 Aql3 CrA5 Mil4 Cyg6 / . / Hyi1 LMi2 / Mil6 Sgr2 Crv6 / Dor4 / Gru1 Leo3 Mic8 Ind3 / Equ5 Her2 Pav2 Del1 Cha8 Dra2 / , / Tel2 Vul1 Com8 Vol5 / Oph4 For1 / Hya1 Crt5 / Del9 LMi3 Hor10 Vul5 TrA14 Aqr6 Gem3 Tel4 Her8 / Col7 Psc4 CVn10 Eri1 Ind3 / Lac1 CVn11 Mil4 And7 / Mil7 / Tuc1 Cnc5 Cas8 CrA5 Com4 Peg3 Com12 Aur3 / . /

* * *

_Day 53_

_A very Daniel-like question occurred to me today. __Why__ is the gate not functioning? I have ascertained that the Ancient device is blocking the gate's ability to receive and amplify energy. But Daniel would have rightly pointed out that that explanation only provides the reason or mechanism, not the purpose. _

_Why would someone want to prevent a Stargate from operating? Is it some kind of Ancient weapon? Or is it a flawed experiment, like that subspace time inverter on P4X-639 that the Colonel and Teal'c had to shut down to prevent time from continuously looping? Even if I knew the purpose of this device, it probably would do little to help me disable it. _

_Meanwhile, I've become quite adept at hunting this planet's turkey look-alikes using the single shot setting on my P-90. My kill rate is nearly 90%, which is plenty to keep me fed. I may not ever need to return to Aitolia for food at this rate._

_I find hunting like this strangely satisfying, although I am not certain that I understand why. The action of killing living things has always been rather revolting to me, killing people even more so. But the contentment I obtain from hunting my own food is unexpected._

_Maybe I'm not quite the person I thought I was. _

Lib3 Sco7 Cen4 / Cap5 / For5 Men1 / Cha10 Hor6 Ant3 / Gem1 Mic5 Ori3 Com9 Tri6 / Cnc1 Cap8 Car6 Zet1 Mil8 / . / Mic2 Lac6 / Pyx4 PsA9 / UMa7 Pav3 Del9 Sge5 / Sgr2 / Cap1 Leo3 Cha4 For1 For2 Nor2 Scl6 / Crt4 Mon8 / Col6 Psc5 / Pup5 Cir6 / Her4 LMi7 Vol5 Oct3 Ara2 Oph1 Equ5 / Hor6 For1 / Aps2 Cam9 Boo3 CVn6 Aur4 Dra1 Tel9 Del7 Tri6 / For1 Sco3 Her3 / Col5 Mil8 Equ8 Cnc5 CrB13 For1 / . / Boo6 Mic8 Gru3 Lac4 Phe2 Tel7 Mil6 / Ant3 Hya1 Cep5 / Mil2 Ind3 Cae3 Dor4 / Vir5 For1 / Mil4 Cam13 Cam12 Cam5 Cir2 CrB5 Vir4 / Oph3 Mus5 Cet5 / Dra4 Cha8 PsA7 Cap11 Cae3 Cam10 / Sgr5 Ori1 / Boo1 Tel4 / And8 Eri3 Boo6 Tuc1 Mic11 Dra2 Lib3 Gem6 UMi7 Sgr3 / . / Mic10 / Scl8 Ser5 CMa6 Crt5 Col5 Com5 Ret2 Ori2 / Hor2 TrA5 Mon6 / Hor6 For1 / Cen4 Cep4 Vel2 / Tel9 Cyg4 Boo6 Oct3 Tau4 Tuc2 Crv1 Tuc1 LMi3 Cru2 Gru4 / For1 Eri2 Vol2 Cha4 / CrA15 Per6 UMa9 Pav3 Mic10 Vul1 Nor5 Cha7 / Cet3 Lac5 Tuc6 Gem6 Com9 Aql4 Cyg4 Hor7 / Pup6 Cen5 Mil5 Tri3 TrA5 Hor7 / Lac6 Her1 Lac7 Sgr6 / Ind5 For2 Mil1 And7 Pic4 Hor1 CrB13 Tuc5 Gru1 / Scl4 Ind1 Mil4 Equ6 / Tel1 Phe2 Vir2 Peg7 / Cha6 Pav3 Ret2 Car5 CVn10 Tri9 TrA16 Her6 Vul8 Mil5 / Del5 Tuc6 Oph2 Scl5 Ser2 Ori5 PsA3 / Vir2 For4 / Pyx5 Pyx4 Oct3 Crv5 Cas10 Tuc1 LMi5 Mon2 Cir6 Aps4 / Equ5 Sco6 Mil4 Her7 / CrA10 Hor1 Lib2 Cyg6 / . / Her8 Mic8 / Del6 / Tri4 And6 / Gem5 Nor2 Cen4 / Mus4 Ari2 PsA7 Zet1 Cyg2 / , / Ant3 Dor3 Tau5 Tri8 Lyn2 / . /

* * *

_Day 58_

_I found the MALP's spectrometer today, approximately one hundred and twenty five meters from my campsite. The flood waters carved a shallow flow channel into the forest floor as they abated, which helped me to determine the direction in which to search. Now all I still need is the air pressure/temperature sensor, the infrared scanner, the Geiger counter, and the radar dish._

_Unfortunately, the mud has infiltrated every crevice of the spectrometer, so I'll need to clean it and test its components for functionality. I'm not going to worry about the appearance of the modulator, so I am disregarding any pieces of MALP casing I find along the flow channel's path. It doesn't need to look pretty, just function. If I can do that, it'll be a small miracle in itself._

_I also tracked a boose (what I've decided to call the moose/bear) today for about two hours. It was doing some hunting of its own, so I remained at a healthy distance. The animal is not very stealthy, but it can absolutely move when it wants to. Good to know if I ever openly encounter one. Or if I want to hunt one._

* * *

_Day 63_

_During my morning run I pondered the absence of rescue. I know it's only been a little over two months, but I feel like something should have happened by now. I always keep my radio in my possession in case the gate is activated and the SGC tries to communicate. And a ship in orbit might also try to raise me by radio, so it remains clipped to my belt even during my runs._

_Maybe the Tok'ra or Asgard didn't have a ship immediately available. Or perhaps the SGC scientists are trying to solve the energy amplification problem on their end. Either way, it would be reassuring if there was some small indication that they've not forgotten about me._

_I am trying to be patient, I really am. But it gets more and more difficult the longer I am alone on this planet. _

Col7 Eri6 And8 / Hor10 Hyi2 / Dra1 Cha6 Aps4 Mic2 Tau4 Her7 / Ret3 LMi7 / Scl8 Crt5 Oct3 CrA8 Crv3 Vol5 / Sct4 LMi7 / Gem3 Pyx2 / For2 TrA8 And8 / Lup1 Cap5 For1 Cnc5 / Tel9 Cap11 / Mil6 Mus5 Cyg4 Tel9 CrB5 Vir4 / . / Hya1 Com4 Pav3 Oph4 Tuc5 Aur5 / Nor5 Cha7 CrB12 / CVn10 Del5 UMi6 Equ8 / Lac6 Hor8 Col5 TrA18 / Cen4 Vir5 / Com3 Mil8 Aps4 Equ6 Vul3 For1 / Hyi1 Crt3 Boo6 / Sge3 Gem6 CVn6 Ret2 Del7 / Com3 Vel2 / Dra3 / CVn12 Her1 Mus5 Eri6 Com11 Cha8 / PsA10 Leo3 / Lac6 Del5 UMi6 Cyg4 Mil4 / Mic8 Pav3 CrB10 TrA15 / Oct3 Oph7 Ant5 Tri5 Hor7 Psc6 / . / Mic12 Peg4 Mil5 Boo1 Phe4 / Cen4 Cha2 Cha8 / Hyi4 Com6 Nor5 Cam14 Pav4 Vol5 / For1 Hor4 Hor3 / Cha4 Lyr2 / Cam10 UMi6 Aqr8 Men4 PsA7 Boo4 Tel9 Gru4 For1 CrB6 Her4 Sgr5 Vir2 And5 Cen3 / Psc2 Cen9 / Cam9 Mon8 Scl7 Lac6 Psc5 Ind3 / Pup5 Cyg4 / Tel11 Cyg2 / PsA1 Per3 Com12 Vul1 CMa4 Vol2 Ret8 PsA15 / Pup6 Equ1 Cha7 For1 / - / Eri1 Lyn4 Sco5 CrB10 Cyg1 Crt4 Oct4 Sgr6 Tri3 Nor2 Cir6 Her8 / . / Cha5 Del7 Eri4 / Mus1 Dor4 Mil5 Col6 Vul5 / Lib3 Pyx2 / Hor7 LMi7 Cas9 Mon3 TrA6 / CrB7 Tau2 CMa1 Mil4 / Ari3 / Mil6 Ori4 Sgr10 Equ5 Hya3 / Com5 Tel2 / Mil4 CrB5 Oph1 Mil6 Cam13 Com9 Hor7 / For1 Leo3 Cnc6 Crv1 Cir5 Gem5 Tri6 / Cae6 Lyn2 Eri8 Ser5 Aql5 For1 / Boo4 Pav4 / Boo1 Lep2 / Cen4 Phe2 Vul5 / Tel8 Men2 Cam9 TrA13 Nor2 Cir6 / Mil2 / Dor5 Ind1 Ser7 Ret7 UMi6 Mil4 Del2 / CrA6 Cyg3 Sgr2 Cas5 Del7 / . / Vir5 Ara2 / Men1 Oct4 Hyl2 Col6 Ser2 / Hor8 / Aur3 Tel4 Dra3 Ant4 Cha7 Cyg2 / Peg4 Tri10 / Vir4 Leo3 UMi6 Ind2 Aur5 / Com3 Lac7 Dor1 / . /

* * *

_Day 66_

_I still cannot find the most vital part for the modulator; the MALP's radar dish. I need it to enhance and project the RF signal from the modulator. I know I brought it with me to the Ancient device from the gate, but it was washed away during the flood. However, I did find the Geiger counter yesterday, the components of which will provide the charge for the pulse of RF that the modulator will emit._

* * *

_Day 70_

_If I hadn't been keeping track of the days in the margins of this notebook, I would have guessed that I've been trapped on this planet for almost one hundred days. Clearly my perception of time has been warped by the lack of constant reminders such as calendars and clocks._

_There's no one here to watch over me, to keep me on track. No judgment or critiques. It's nice in some ways, to be free of all the expectations that were a constant at the SGC. No outside pressure or stress to solve some seemingly unsolvable problem. Just me, fighting with this stupid device. So, I guess the only person I can disappoint right now is myself._

* * *

_Day 74_

_I had to pirate components from my solar-powered lantern today for the field modulator. Now I can no longer work at night or in the early morning. And the evenings appear even darker than before, although I know it is merely the absence of the lantern that makes it seem that way._

_But they do feel darker._

* * *

_Day 75_

_I have successfully constructed all of the modulator that I can without the radar dish. I continue to look for it, but it does not appear to be within my pre-defined search radius. It is possible that it sunk into a puddle or was covered by mud during the flood. Short of digging up the entire forest floor, there is not much else I can do but continue to search._

_The suffocating darkness without my lantern is making it difficult to sleep. I jump at strange sounds and I've started sleeping with my P-90 tucked into my chest. I hate feeling vulnerable._

_What would the Colonel think of me now? His fearless Major, scared of the dark?_

Mon1 Pav2 Scl8 Mil4 / Mil6 Dra3 Her8 / PsA11 Car4 Aur5 Oph3 Lac6 / . / PsA7 Lib3 Hor6 Peg6 Sct4 / Pav2 Hor5 Her6 / Vir5 For1 / CVn13 Boo4 / . / CMa4 / For5 UMi5 / Lup3 PsA7 Sct4 Hyi1 Com8 Cet3 CrA14 Mic3 / . / Her1 Tel9 Dor5 Sco6 TrA5 Gru1 / Aur4 Cen3 / Lac6 Cep4 Equ1 / Vel4 Lib2 Vir3 / For1 Nor2 Sco4 Oph6 Her7 / , / Hor1 Cap7 Lep3 Psc2 UMi7 Tri6 / Cen4 Boo3 / For1 Cir2 Cir6 Hyi3 / Cha5 CrA5 Pyx5 Mil6 And7 Sgr8 Cap11 / Cet3 Pav4 / Aql2 Oph8 Com12 Per7 Cen4 Pup5 Leo3 Car5 Cyg6 / Lac6 Hor1 TrA4 Pic4 / Mic2 / Oph7 Hya5 Vel1 Ari4 / CrB7 CrB10 Crt5 Lyn3 / TrA16 Aqr8 Mil4 Pic2 Eri6 Gru1 / Vol6 PsA2 Tuc5 Com11 Mon6 / Cha4 Mil5 / Ret9 Mic5 Ant3 Cep4 Equ1 Cnc6 / Dor5 LMi5 Her2 Eri4 / . / Aql6 For1 Cam9 Oct4 Gem6 Cam10 / Cen4 Vir5 / Cam3 Nor5 Mil4 CrB10 / Cas2 / Cha4 CMa9 Vir1 Leo2 / Cet3 Hor1 Tuc6 Pic4 / Col5 Aql6 Pyx2 / PsA7 Vul6 TrA14 Cep6 And9 Col3 Del3 Cyg2 / Hor7 Aur4 Pav3 Crt5 / Mus1 Equ1 / Mil6 Phe2 PsA7 Lac6 / Pyx4 / Mil6 Cae2 Lyn3 Sgr5 / . / Tri5 Hor4 Cen4 / Crv6 Cap10 Gru2 Lep2 / Per5 Phe7 Peg4 Cap1 Cen4 Vol3 Hyi2 / Mil6 Hya1 CrA12 PsA10 / Ori3 / Mil6 Tuc6 For4 Pic4 / . / Pup3 CrB6 Boo4 Cep4 Tel2 TrA14 Del6 Sco2 / . /

* * *

_Day 80_

_In the continued absence of the radar dish, I tried being Daniel the last few days. Yes, I've gotten desperate enough to try translating the Ancient writing. I remembered that the most frequently used letter of the English alphabet is 'e', and that 'the' is the most frequently used word. I know that Ancient is not English, but they are both Latin-based, so I thought they would decipher similarly._

_Instead, three days later, I've got several pages full of gibberish. So much for trying a different angle._

_I really hate this place. I don't sleep anymore, at least not the whole night through. Last night I began crying because I was so frustrated._

Crv1 Tri2 Lyx2 Ari3 Tuc5 Peg3 / , / Lyx1 Psc2 Mil4 Boo5 / Tau2 / Cam9 Tel4 Mic7 Cen7 Hyi5 Mic10 Sge6 / . / TrA5 For2 Lac6 / Mus5 Cyg1 PsA10 Oph4 Vol5 Gem1 / Ant4 CMi7 Mil4 Equ6 / Oct4 CrB5 / Mon8 For1 For1 Pyx4 Crv1 TrA18 Cnc6 / Mil6 Phe6 Cen4 Del5 / Dra3 / Tel8 Hyi1 And8 / , / Mil6 Cha2 Boo3 / Her1 PsA7 CVn5 / Hya3 Vul5 Aur6 Leo1 Ant3 / Mil6 Mic10 Ret3 Oph7 / Hor7 Hor6 And9 / ' / PsA8 Del3 Ind3 / PsA10 Oph1 UMi9 Cen4 Oph5 Nor3 Cas8 / , / Sgr9 For4 For1 Her2 Ari5 Ret3 Col7 Lac6 Vir2 Pic5 CrB5 / , / For1 Mon8 Dra5 Sct4 Cep4 Nor2 Cam12 Eri4 / Eri8 Psc2 Boo4 Sco7 Dor4 TrA14 Pyx4 Cha9 Gem5 CVn5 / , / Sge2 Cap9 Dor1 / Aur6 CMi8 Hya2 / Del7 Per6 Tel11 CrB7 Cas8 Hyi4 / Oph1 For1 / Sco3 Ret3 Cha2 Cae3 Aur3 / Com8 Vel1 Equ6 Cir6 Lac6 Lup5 / Scl6 Phe2 UMi4 Boo4 / Mil6 Vol2 Del8 Her6 Dor5 / Lib3 Lac4 / Crt3 / Boo6 Oph6 Ind1 Her7 Cyg4 Cnc4 Cha8 / For1 Vir2 Mon5 Ant3 Tel9 Mic5 Car5 / Del7 Hor4 CVn6 Psc5 Hor5 Ant5 Aps4 Tuc1 / ' / Pup6 / Mil6 Leo2 Tau1 / Eri4 Cap8 Cha6 Nor5 Tri10 / . / Lyn3 Vir5 / , / Cam13 / Cha3 Cae6 / Cap6 Ori2 Mil5 TrA3 Men3 Gem1 / CMa8 Mic11 CVn5 PsA10 / Equ5 Tri3 Mil4 Boo5 / Cnc2 / PsA1 Peg4 Ret3 Cep4 Cha6 Tel1 Aqr6 Cru1 / , / For1 Cnc6 Mil2 Vir4 Del5 Pic4 Mon6 CVn8 Vul5 Hyi3 / Vul8 Sco6 Oct3 Sct4 Ret7 Psc5 / Her4 Oph3 Gem6 Hor5 And8 / . / Tri6 Mic8 Cam10 / Eri4 Mus5 Col5 Ind2 / Ant5 PsA10 / , / Tri3 / _Sgr7 Nor4_ / Mic9 Cha5 Cen4 Hor1 Cas8 Sge5 Tel9 Psc4 / . /

* * *

_Day 83_

_Today I successfully tracked and killed a boose. It took me several hours of tracking and careful approach, but I managed to kill it on my first attempt. It was rather satisfying in a primal way, despite the fact I used my P-90. And it makes me feel much more content than fiddling with useless pieces of the MALP, trying to make an equally useless machine._

* * *

_Day 89_

_My pen stopped working yesterday as I tried to calculate the power requirements for my field modulator. I am currently using an extra from my pack, with a mechanical pencil as my only backup. I suppose if I run out of writing implements after that, I will need to be inventive. As if I'm not sick enough of being that already._

_I am concerned that the solar cells from my lantern will be unable to provide a sufficiently powerful RF burst. If I only hadn't burned up the capacitor I constructed to try to charge my laptop, then I would have a more substantial power sink. At least I found the radar dish a few days ago, so this modulator project isn't a complete wash. Yet._

_The effects of being here alone are becoming more transparent. I am less patient and more apt to lapses in concentration. I'm lonely, but I'm not interested in companionship. Well, maybe if it were the right people. Like a certain snarky Colonel. Or a fellow knowledge-junkie who could translate Ancient. And a valiant Jaffa would be just as welcome._

_And while we are on the topic of the things I want but cannot have, a ship capable of interstellar travel would be nice. And how about a time machine, too? Hell, at the very least I'd take an Ancient dictionary and a new capacitor. _

Aql6 Tuc5 Dor5 / CVn11 / ' / Eri4 / Ant3 Gru2 Sgr7 Hya3 CrB10 / CVn9 Cyg4 Mil5 Scl6 Cep4 Sco6 Eri6 Tri6 / For1 Ori4 Scl8 / UMa7 Tau5 Sgr11 Sgr5 / TrA1 TrA18 Oct5 / CMi6 CMa4 Vol5 Tri9 CrA10 Vel2 Her8 / Mil6 Gem6 Ant3 Cha2 / Cae6 Cyg2 / For1 Lib5 Tuc1 Del5 Equ6 Cnc6 / . / CVn11 / Hyi1 Car6 Pav3 Equ6 / Del9 Cha9 / CMi6 Sge7 TrA5 Cyg2 / Aql2 PsA8 Boo5 Sco8 Crt4 Lib2 Ori1 Cen3 Cir8 / Lac6 Mon4 / Aps1 Sgr11 Mil4 / Oph7 Mic10 Men1 / Ara3 CrB7 Mon8 Sco7 Sge6 / Del5 Cas9 Pyx5 / Pup4 Gem2 Vir3 Eri8 Aps2 Eri1 Cap6 Pic4 Ret4 CVn6 TrA18 / Leo3 Cir6 / Hor10 Pyx2 / Tri8 PsA12 For1 Lac4 / . / Mil6 Cae2 UMa3 / CrA10 Cha2 For5 Oct3 / Cep4 Mus5 Equ5 Leo1 Tri7 Mon5 CVn13 Com9 Cnc2 Pic4 Phe6 LMi3 Tuc5 / Cet1 Vir5 Cyg4 Crv4 Del2 Scl8 Cyg6 Dra3 Sct4 Vir2 Dor6 CrA5 / Mil6 Oph4 Ant3 Phe2 / Her1 Mil2 Col5 / Aqr4 Cap9 Cyg2 Oct3 Oph7 Hor8 Vol5 Aur5 / Vul8 Tel9 Mil4 Ret2 / Mil6 Hya1 Cen5 Boo4 / Del5 Mon6 / Mil6 Vir5 Equ7 Aql5 Ind3 / Ara2 Ser2 Cas10 Vel3 Ant4 Mil5 / Vol6 PsA7 Hya2 / ? / PsA12 / Dor5 LMi7 / CMa3 Nor2 Crt4 / Mil4 Tri5 Hor6 Mil6 / Gem4 For1 / Del6 / Mil6 Mic8 PsA8 Ret7 And8 / Col6 Cha8 / And4 Eri1 Vul8 Phe6 Her7 CVn6 Crt5 Cam10 / Sge5 Nor2 / Mil4 Lyn3 Pav4 Mil6 / Tel7 Sgr8 / UMa8 Tel10 CrA9 Lac6 / Eri4 Aur4 Cam14 Vul9 Ser4 Pup4 Cap7 Oph4 Cen3 PsA10 Mon6 Del1 / . /

* * *

_Day 92_

_One of the wires in the modulator sparked out again today and I nearly lost my temper. I had to recite the first thirty Fibonacci numbers and describe pi to its fiftieth decimal place before I was calm once more. I have no doubt that the Colonel would find my method of 'counting to ten' entertaining._

_What good am I if I can't even make a simple modulator function?_

Mil6 Oph3 Peg4 TrA14 / Sge3 Hor6 Mon8 Ind3 / Cen5 And6 / Tel9 / Pic4 For2 / Car6 Cyg4 Mil5 Vol2 Com9 Cae3 / Peg4 Cir6 Lyr2 Cha4 Hor6 UMa9 Cnc5 / Col7 CrA5 Cyg2 Mil6 CrB11 Pyx2 Sco8 / ? / Del6 / Oph3 PsA7 CVn6 Equ6 / Boo1 LMi2 Per5 Cha10 / Tel8 Boo3 Del7 And8 Vel2 Vir3 TrA3 Lyn3 Hor7 / Oct3 Oph3 Sgr7 Tel1 / Equ2 Tau5 Cha6 CMa5 Tuc1 Gem4 Mic5 Ind2 / Scl1 CrB13 For4 Car1 Com12 / Col6 Ser5 Mic10 Car5 Aur5 / Scl4 Vul5 For1 CrA10 / Lib3 TrA18 Del5 Hor8 Cap9 And7 / . / Cas3 Ori1 / , / Cam12 Gem2 Oct3 / ' / Equ8 / Ara2 Lac4 TrA4 Hor5 Phe6 Gru4 Cyg6 Pyx4 Dra4 Nor5 Del3 Scl4 Mil5 / Her8 Mus5 Mil8 / Tel1 Phe2 CVn9 Ant3 / Cir5 / Vel4 CMa6 / Psc6 CVn10 Sgr10 Cyg1 Mil4 / Cep4 Cnc5 Scl8 CrB10 / For1 Mon8 Aur3 / Pic4 Oph3 CVn4 / Sgr8 Cae3 Cyg6 Sct4 / LMi3 For1 / CMa6 Mil8 / CrB12 Phe6 For1 Cha6 / . / Mil6 Hor1 Aur6 Boo4 / Dra4 Pav2 For4 / Mil2 / Phe1 CMa9 Del9 Hyi6 Oph4 Col6 Her6 Hya2 / Ind3 Mic5 / Oph7 Phe4 UMi9 Ser5 / CrA10 Hya1 Peg4 Boo4 / Mil6 PsA12 Lyr1 Ret7 / Cnc5 Pav3 And7 Cam9 / Com5 Mon6 / Ori4 For1 / CrB6 Eri6 Mil8 / Tri8 CrA7 Crv6 Crt4 Sgr9 Oct5 Vir4 / Pup6 Pyx4 Gem1 Del7 Psc2 For1 Mic10 Mus4 Cha5 Cyg4 Mic7 Lep2 / ? /

* * *

_Day 100_

_I've been stuck on this alien planet for one hundred days. I know I am making this day more significant than it should be, but I cannot help but believe they would have come by now. I know the Colonel and Daniel and Teal'c well enough. We are…were a team. No one can possibly understand what each of us means to the others. I have to believe that they would have rescued me by now if it were possible._

_And yet, as a good scientist, I must consider other options and alternate explanations. Maybe I'm not worth the devotion of resources it would take to rescue me. After all, I am just a Major. And it's not like other SG teams don't lose people all the time. Fundamentally, my life is no more valuable than anyone else's._

_I just thought, I hoped, that I meant enough to the program that someone would want to come get me. That Colonel O'Neill's words about never leaving people behind weren't just some ideal, some principle. That the people I have sacrificed so much for over the years would sacrifice a little for me._

_But maybe it's time to rationally admit that rescue isn't coming. That I really am alone, just like I always feared. That if they ever intended on coming at all they would have by now. That I'm stuck on this alien planet for the rest of my life._

* * *

_Day 104_

_I ran barefoot in the forest today and it was one of the most elating experiences of my entire life. I don't know why I didn't do this earlier, but the feeling of earth between my toes, moss under my heels...it's just indescribable. No mathematical formula or physics theory could ever come close to generating this feeling of pure joy._

_I've decided to go barefoot everywhere from now on. And I've stopped carrying my P-90 with me, as this empty forest holds no genuine threats. I am fairly certain that I can take on anything or anyone with my knife and my hands. It feels so good to trust in my body like this._

* * *

_Day 111_

_The laptop will never work again. Every single repair strategy I've attempted has ended in failure. I simply lack the necessary parts and tools. Why did I ever think this plan would work? I feel so foolish for not realizing earlier that my brain will not save me this time._

_I've felt this sense of helplessness on too many previous occasions. When I couldn't figure out a way to save us from Anubis' gate destroyer. When I couldn't determine how to rescue the Colonel from Ba'al, from being transported to that moon with Maybourne. When Teal'c was trapped in the gate's capacitor and when Daniel died. I hate feeling this way._

_At least there's no one here telling me 'Major Carter, figure this out' or 'you've never seen anything like this before, but you'll fix it, right?'. None of them ever understood the kind of pressure that that put on me. Being alone right now is better. Being dependable to and upon no one is ultimately better._

* * *

_Day 116_

_I gave myself a few days away from technology in an attempt to clear my head. I thought looking at the laptop problem with a fresh perspective might yield different results. But it is blatantly apparent that it was simply unfixable all along. It has nothing to do with will or desire. I should have realized this weeks ago._

_There is still a slight chance that the modulator will work. The frequency needs to be specifically tuned, which was the function the laptop would have served. But if I adjust it manually, it may be still possible to disrupt the energy barrier._

_It rained all day. I stopped working in the afternoon and sat outside on a rocky outcropping until sunset. Ordinarily, getting soaked would have been a nuisance, but it felt just right today. _

* * *

_Day 125_

_After several days of obtaining negative results, I've grown tired of messing with wires and metal. It may be time to accept that my modulator is a failed experiment._

_Instead, I turned my energies toward killing a boose with just my knife. I have been killing the game birds like this for the last couple of weeks, but I was not certain that I could be successful taking on something larger._

_I built a tree stand a while ago along one of the boose trails to target them from above with my P-90. It only took a few hours of patient waiting this morning before one ambled along. It walked directly beneath my stand and I launched myself from the platform onto its back. The struggle was brief and my victory was utterly satisfying._

_Four months ago I never would have considered killing an animal for food like this. Guess it goes to show how much a person can change in a relatively brief amount of time._

Mic2 / Oph3 Car6 Vel1 Lac4 / LMi3 For1 CrA10 Lep2 CMi8 / Mil6 Mon8 Cha10 Dor1 Tel2 Aur3 Cas8 Eri4 / Hyi1 Vir5 Mil6 / And6 Pyx2 / Tuc1 CVn4 TrA11 Mic12 Men1 Cnc2 Lac6 Per5 CrA9 / Mil6 Nor2 Sgr10 CrA13 And8 / Lyr3 Mon6 Tuc6 Her4 Ret3 / Pyx4 For1 / TrA14 Phe2 Com8 Lyn2 / Mil4 Vol5 Com6 Mil6 / Eri3 / Mil6 Mus5 Cap11 / TrA8 CrB10 PsA10 CrA10 Pyx4 UMi7 Aur5 / Peg3 Oph1 / LMi7 For1 / Col5 Hya2 / CMa9 Lep1 Hyi3 / Cam5 Mic10 For1 Mon6 / Mil6 Pyx4 Sge6 Oph7 Hor4 Pup2 Tau1 / Sgr7 TrA5 Mil8 / Oph3 Lac4 Boo6 PsA12 Lac6 Dra3 TrA14 Oph4 Vir5 Del7 / . / Mil6 Nor2 Lep4 Cam12 Ind3 / Cen4 Hor1 Cha8 Mil5 / Col6 Equ6 / Cen5 Mic7 Cap6 Tel2 Peg1 Cen4 UMi6 Del7 Hor7 / For2 For1 / And6 Hya2 / Dor5 Ser5 Pic3 CMi4 Aps4 Phe6 Cam6 Ori5 Del9 / ? / Nor2 PsA6 / Mil6 Phe3 Ret6 Vol3 Cam10 / PsA10 Phe2 CrB10 Cyg2 / Cae1 TrA15 Vir2 Scl6 Sco6 CMi1 LMi5 Zet1 Cha6 / Mic12 Ari4 / For1 Mic8 Cam9 / ' / TrA6 Del6 Pav3 CrB13 PsA13 Aur5 / CrA8 Oph2 / ' / Boo6 Dor6 / Cha8 Col7 CMi5 Aql4 Hor5 Lyr2 / ? / Pup5 / Cep4 Mus5 Vir1 Com6 Cha10 / ' / Ant3 / Cyg3 Ari3 CVn6 Del2 Phe5 / Cir7 Psc1 / ; / Cir3 Nor5 CrA10 Oph7 TrA18 Scl8 / , / Cap5 / Hya1 Peg4 Vel1 Tel4 / UMi9 Cas8 Hyi3 LMi5 TrA2 Vel2 Com11 Cen4 Ser5 Ind3 / Cha4 Mil8 / Her7 Vol5 CVn4 UMa9 Aur5 CMa8 Boo5 Aqr8 / Cen5 Cha10 Dra1 / Dor5 Com8 Vir1 Lac4 Vul8 Mic5 Peg1 TrA18 Eri4 / PsA7 / Del7 Mon6 Mil6 / Ind5 Her2 Sgr5 / Cas6 For1 / Gru4 Mil4 Tel9 Lib1 Ret7 PsA6 / , / Mil6 Hor1 Gem6 CrB1 Hyi1 / Mil6 Sco6 Scl4 Cam12 / Cas2 CrB12 CrA13 Mon2 Mil6 / CMa6 Cae3 / Sge5 Cap7 / Tau2 And8 Aql6 Phe1 TrA14 / CVn10 Hor6 / Col7 Cyg4 Ind3 / Cir8 Aqr7 Cnc6 CVn6 Vir2 Crv4 Cep5 / TrA3 Tuc5 / Sct4 Oph3 Mil2 Aps4 / Boo5 Cyg4 Pav3 Mic10 Aur3 Mon8 Cyg4 And6 Cas8 Tuc5 Ant3 / . / Ret3 Del5 Ser5 Hyi6 Del2 / Cen9 Mil4 Pup5 Her6 Cae4 CrA9 / Cha3 UMa9 Mon6 / CrB7 Crt5 Dra4 Hor4 Tel11 Tel9 Tri5 TrA6 / Del6 Eri6 Ind3 CrB13 Cam14 Lup3 Ret2 CrA5 CrA9 Car6 Boo1 Ret7 Cep5 / , / Dor3 LMi2 TrA6 Tuc6 CMa10 Cam10 Tri8 Cnc5 Her8 Aps4 / Nor2 For1 / PsA10 Cep4 Her7 Ind1 Cnc6 / Oph2 Leo2 UMi9 Dra4 Cha8 Tel9 CVn6 Crt5 Hya3 / Lib3 Aqr5 Vul7 PsA10 Oct4 Ret7 Tri3 Sgr6 Mil5 / . / Sgr7 Eri6 Del1 / CrB13 / Vir3 Tel4 Nor5 Cha7 Tri8 Pyx2 / And8 Mon8 / CrB5 Boo3 Lac6 / Her4 Peg4 Hya4 TrA18 / UMi6 For1 / Ant6 Gem5 Hya2 Mic8 Ori5 CrB10 / Crt4 Del5 Phe6 TrA5 Mil4 Cam14 / Cam10 Mic10 For1 For1 Cas8 LMi8 Equ6 PsA13 Boo4 TrA17 Cyg2 / . / Cep4 Mon6 Del3 Tri8 / , / Aql4 / Vul8 Nor5 Cam14 PsA10 Men2 Ind3 / Her6 Cap7 Cap9 Aur5 Ret3 PsA11 / Scl6 Oph7 Pav2 Cir6 / Pic4 Hor1 Cnc5 / Mon5 For2 Equ5 CrB8 Phe5 CVn7 Leo1 / , / Hya3 Hor8 And8 Com9 / ' / TrA14 / Gem6 / ? /

* * *

_Day 132_

_My radio finally died today. It might have been possible to use my lantern's solar cell to charge the batteries, but now that they are completely integrated into the modulator, I can't do anything to resurrect the radio._

_Technology is a waste of energy, anyway._

_I tried to prove the Pythagorean Theorem five ways in my head to keep myself calm, but halfway through number three I realized that I don't care. I don't care about math or physics or science. What has it ever done for me but trap me on an alien planet and malfunction until it cannot return me home? And this useless radio has been nothing but an extra weight to carry around._

_There is only failure and more failure; my modulator is a piece of junk. It was never going to work. I should have realized weeks ago that I was never going to save myself with jury rigged pieces of a MALP. It was only completely useless hope that kept me working._

_And now I have no more disillusionment. No more ineffectual hope._

* * *

_Day 148_

_Rodney McKay once told me that he had aspired as a child to become a concert pianist, but his teacher advised him to quit because he had no sense of the art of music. And then he went onto tell me that I was an artist in the ways of science, and that he was jealous, which explained why he was always so critical of my work. Not really much to be jealous of now, eh, Rodney?_

_McKay also called me deranged. I suppose he'd be right on if he witnessed me hunting boose so gleefully._

_But his admission about his childhood has been on my mind lately. It's raised some interesting questions. Questions that in the past there was never time to ask or to consider._

_Did I always want to be a scientist, a soldier? Did I get caught up along the way in expectations of my own making? Or were they my father's? Did I join the Air Force so that I could find some way to finally connect to him? To make him pay attention to me? To understand what was so important about the Air Force that he would choose it over my mom?_

_My dad said to me at the Alpha site that we never talk anymore. But what is there to talk about? I spend all my time working, trying to define my life in terms of quantum theory and technical specifications. I am a soldier, but nothing more than a peon; I do exactly what I'm told and swallow my instinctual/informed opinion when ordered otherwise. I suppress so much of who I am to conform and cooperate. And for it, I get an empty feeling and a father who says that we don't talk anymore. None of it means anything._

_It all leaves me wondering if I've missed out on some basic truth about life, something fundamental that would give my existence purpose. What I'm doing now, remaining in a holding pattern and waiting around for someone or something else to dictate my next move, it isn't living, just existing. And that's just what I've done in every other part of my life._

_In nature, organisms adapt when circumstances become unlivable. Adaptation is considered a requisite for life. And so it must be for me if I am to finally begin living._

* * *

_Day 158_

_I will wait twenty-five more days for contact. And then I am going to adapt._

* * *

_Day 183_

_Nothing has happened during the last twenty-five days. I haven't become deathly ill, fallen out of a tree and broken my leg, been trampled by a boose, or gotten whisked away to some unfamiliar place. No contact. Nothing has happened._

_And now I look back and consider my life before here. It is so simple to define in broad strokes: all those years of school, the hours of research, the dissertation, so many all-nighters, the Air Force training, all the 'yes, sir's and 'no, sir's, the close calls off-world, the number of times I've been resurrected, possessed, implanted, and shot…all of it comes down to this moment, when I realize that it was all worthless. Nothing of that life mattered; it was all completely pointless._

_And so is continuing to keep this journal._

* * *

Jack distraughtly turned to the next page. But it was no use; no matter how many pages he flipped, the rest of the notebook was completely blank.

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you for reviewing, reading, alerting, and favoriting this story.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – O'Neill residence, Earth**

Several of Jack's emotions battled for supremacy simultaneously.

He wanted to spike the notebook into his TV in anger at her and himself. And at the cosmic joke that was their lives.

He wanted to reread it, to trace his fingers over his Major's words. To immerse himself in her hopelessness and melancholy. To mourn her sufferings and her loneliness and to try to feel for just one moment as awful as she had.

But most of all he wanted to understand. How could she consider all they'd done and seen a waste of a life? Why had she rejected her entire past as meaningless? And what was with all of those numbers and letters?

However, Jack did none of those things. Instead, he got up and grabbed a beer from the refrigerator, opening it on autopilot. He took a hearty swig and leaned against the kitchen counter, surveying the dark room.

He had futilely hoped in the first few months that Sam would find some way to detect the electromagnetic field. But after doing a little background reading of his own, it had become painfully obvious to Jack that she would have needed some seriously fancy equipment. And even then, the eighteen-month periodicity of the field would have impossible to detect from the inside of it. She would have eventually reached the very same conclusion; she was permanently trapped. But, he ruminated, at least she would have known why there had been no rescue attempts.

He supposed he should be proud that she'd made it nearly double the time he had on Edora before admitting defeat and moving on. And he'd actually had other people around to abate the loneliness. Plus, she'd been fighting an unfixable device that had obviously left her furious and frustrated with all things electronic and man-made. All he'd had was a shovel and a general idea of where the gate should have been.

Her fallout with technology had to be a direct consequence of being unable to fix the Ancient device. The few times he'd seen Carter fail it had been ugly. Self-castigation didn't even begin to cover her reaction. That was possibly her greatest weakness; hating to appear weak.

Maybe he shouldn't have teased her so often about being an egghead. Maybe that had worn on her nerves, too. Jack recognized that what he intended as endearments could over time be perceived as insults. Especially when they'd all put so much pressure on her to save their collective asses for the seventy millionth time. She'd been right about their lack of understanding on that.

As Jack returned to the couch, beer still in hand, he began to consider Sam's changed temperament. She had ever been the obedient and respectful Major. But there had also always remained some small part of her that was untouchable and untamable. Some part that the USAF military training instructors had not managed to beat into submission. That part loved riding her Indian and taking crazy risks. It was a vicious, dangerous side that she carefully held in check. As ex-Black Ops he could easily detect that in a person. But, he'd always considered that an anomaly within her. Everyone had their darker side, even his squeaky clean Major. It didn't mean that everyone necessarily expressed it or acted upon it.

But the woman they'd found in Thracia was the full embodiment of that side. It left him wondering what had kicked that into full gear. She hadn't gone from woodland Girl Scout to the female incarnation of Rambo overnight. A year had obviously passed between the end of her journal entries and when they'd arrived on the scene. She'd been tattooed and scarred, and become a polis' Champion. Obviously _something_ had happened to her in that time to turn her into Achillia. But without more journal entries documenting the change, he was still clueless. And if the numbers were some kind of code, as he was growing to suspect they were, there was a chance there was more to the journal that he could not read.

When they rescued her from Ares, it would be one of the first things he asked her about.

And the anger she'd greeted them with, that wasn't anywhere in the notebook. Anger didn't make sense in the context of her writing; she'd never blamed them for her abandonment. Certainly, there was disappointment, but not anger.

But even in her magnificent fury at them, _at him_, she'd been hesitant. She'd wanted to come home, he was sure of it. Why else would she have been nearly reduced to tears when he'd practically begged her to return? And why was her response 'I can't' and not 'I won't'?

No, something else was definitely going on.

* * *

**Ares' Ha'tak, Hyperspace**

Sam awoke to gaudy walls. Seriously, could the goa'uld be any more ostentatious? She resisted rolling her eyes.

Pushing herself into a seated position, Sam surveyed her new environment. She was no longer in the cargo hold of the Tel'tak. Instead, she identified the familiar surroundings of a goa'uld prison, probably on a Ha'tak. A quick exploration of the cell revealed no immediate route of escape, not that she expected one. But she'd be remiss if she didn't at least check to see if someone had forgotten to lock the door. Finding nothing else to do, Sam sat back down to wait for Ares to come and gloat.

After a few minutes of boredom, Sam realized that her shoulder didn't hurt anymore. She gently applied pressure to her clavicle and found it whole once again. And the cracked rib she'd been nursing since fighting the Mantinean Champion a while ago was healed, too. She guessed that Ares wanted his future queen in one piece and had thrown her in his sarcophagus.

Being at full strength would ultimately work to her advantage when she tried to escape. The only question was when and where she'd make her getaway. Sam thought it was unfortunate that she couldn't tell if they were still orbiting Aeropos or if they were in hyperspace at the moment. But it didn't matter; she could just as easily grab a glider as she could use the rings. Of course, she'd need to disable the hyperspace generator first, in order to be able to escape. But that was only if they were currently in hyperspace, because otherwise she would….

The clanking of approaching Jaffa alerted Sam to visitors, and the barred door at one side of the cell smoothly opened. Sam glared in surly disrespect at the red-robed woman standing on the threshold, escorted by a pair of guards.

The haughty set to the woman's jaw made Sam certain that she was a goa'uld, a theory that was confirmed when the woman spoke with a multi-tonal voice, "I am Eris, servant of Ares."

"How lucky for you," sassed Sam.

"Indeed," confirmed Eris, and then she commanded, "You will come with me now."

Sam smirked. "Or what?"

The goa'uld pulled a zat from her belt. "Or we will render you unconscious and then drag you. Surely you wouldn't want to be humiliated like that, Major Carter?"

"How do you know my name?" demanded Sam.

"All the system lords know of the Tau'ri, especially of SG-1. Now, come with me."

Sam cocked her head to the side, thinking. "Ares is not a system lord."

Eris stared at her intently. "No, he is not. But the one he serves is."

"Who?"

"I will not hesitate to stun you," warned the goa'uld, showing Sam that her finger was on the zat's trigger.

"Fine." Sam stood and followed the woman out of the cell.

They walked through several corridors, Eris in the lead with Sam directly behind her, and the Jaffa guards behind them. Sam briefly considered trying to overpower the goa'uld for her zat, but they reached their destination before she had an opportunity to move.

The door in front of them lifted and revealed what appeared to be the equivalent of a goa'uld spa. A sunken pool of steaming water sat in one corner, and a mirrored area with a plethora of hanging, sparkly outfits was in another. A golden table stood in the center of the room, a variety of instruments lined up at one end.

Sam looked over to the woman beside her for an explanation.

"You will bathe and then dress in appropriate attire before you are presented to your god."

"Oh, I don't think so."

Eris considered her coolly. "Do you wish for assistance?"

Sam glared, catching the goa'uld's drift. "No. Absolutely not."

"Then, proceed." The woman gestured to the pool and then walked toward the opposite corner.

Glancing over her shoulder, Sam caught of the Jaffa standing guard outside as the door closed behind them. She looked back over to the goa'uld and found her sitting near the mirrors, the zat at the ready in her hand. Eris used the weapon to point at the pool again.

"Fine, fine," muttered Sam under her breath, as she stomped over to the pool. She unknotted her sash and stepped out of her sandals, unceremoniously dumping them by the side of the pool. With a final huff of indignation, Sam pulled her tunic over her head and deposited it behind her. Standing in only her underwear, she glared down at the water.

"I hope you don't expect me to get completely naked," declared Sam, folding her arms in front of her torso, "Because this is as far as I go."

Eris merely nodded.

Sam sighed audibly and stuck a toe into the water. It was not scalding, so she stepped all the way in, quickly submerging her entire body. Despite the fact that she was not taking a bath on her terms, Sam couldn't help but appreciate the feeling of being enveloped in hot water. Gladiators made due with lukewarm showers and the occasional dip into a cold ephemeral pond. She hadn't had the luxury of a bath since being back on Earth. It was downright sinful.

After splashing around for a few minutes, Eris presented Sam with a towel and she reluctantly got out of the pool. The goa'uld stood by and waited for Sam to become adequately dry before handing her a new set of underwear and an absolutely garish outfit. Eris then proceeded to shove her into the opposite corner and pulled a screen between them.

"At least she didn't try dressing me," mumbled Sam to herself as she pulled on the silky material, thankful for that small favor.

The outfit was one step short of being too revealing, but the extravagant beading and sprinkling of dangling thingies made Sam feel self-conscious. She had so wished never to be squeezed into one of these detestably pretentious get ups since the time she'd worn the Mongol equivalent. But she decided, as Sam checked her appearance in the mirrors, she certainly made it look good.

"You will now lie down on this table."

Sam didn't feel like playing along anymore. "Why?"

The zat charged to life and Eris pointed it at her. "Because I have said so."

"Fine, but only because you 'said so'," mocked Sam.

Eris oriented Sam so that her head rested near the instruments. She watched out of the corner of her eye as the goa'uld kept one hand on the zat and the other on a control pad in front of her.

"What are you doing now?"

The red-robed woman did not look up from her button pushing. "Assessing your health."

"Why?"

"The host must be in adequate health before implantation."

Sam eyed the zat. "Really? I thought that snakes could heal any problems."

Eris looked up and scrutinized Sam. "Ares' queen is in poor health at the moment. A host with excellent health will assist her recovery."

Sam smirked. "A goa'uld in poor health? Forgive me if I don't cry about it."

Eris reached above her head for one of the instruments. "You will not last very long with Ares if you continue with this impertinence."

"Pity," spat Sam. She observed that the hand holding the zat had relaxed and prepared to strike.

But Eris abruptly injected her with something in her thigh, and Sam felt all of her muscles go limp. The goa'uld looked down at her unsympathetically, passing another instrument over her unblinking eyes. And Sam could do nothing to stop her.

* * *

**A/N: **Some of you have expressed disappointment with the lack of information about how Sam became Achillia. You'll have to believe me once more when I say that all will be revealed eventually.

Thanks to all who've read, reviewed, favorited, and alerted!


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – O'Neill residence, Earth**

Jack had finally managed to fall into a restless sleep when his cell phone rang. The ringtone immediately told him that it was the SGC.

He rolled off of the couch and nearly knocked over a row of beer bottles lined up on the coffee table. _Just when did I drink all of those?_ The ringing continued and Jack fumbled for his phone.

"O'Neill."

"Sir, General Hammond requests that you return to base immediately." Jack recognized the person on the other end as one of the base communications officers.

"Why? What happened?"

"The General says that he will explain in a briefing. He has scheduled one for 0700."

Jack glanced at his watch.

"Then I'll be right in."

"Yes, sir."

He took a final, long look at Sam's notebook before getting up and heading toward the shower.

* * *

**Briefing room, Earth**

An hour later, he strolled into the briefing room. Teal'c was already sitting at the table, nursing a large mug of coffee. Jack poured himself a cup and took his customary seat.

"T, how's it going?"

Teal'c inclined his head in acknowledgment.

"So, how's Danny?"

"_I'm_ just fine, thank you very much."

Jack swiveled around in his chair and watched the archaeologist finish climbing the spiral staircase at the other end of the room.

"So you are. What'd Doc Frasier say?"

Daniel sat down next to Teal'c. "It's a thermal burn, second degree. Janet said the blisters will heal relatively quickly, but in the meantime it will be fairly painful. She thinks that my BDUs probably saved me from a worse burn."

Jack grimaced in sympathy; second degree burns hurt like hell.

The General entered the room and Jack stood at an ungainly attention. His CO waved him back into his seat and then took his place at the head of the table. Jack noticed that he appeared drawn and his normally immaculately pressed shirt was rumpled and disheveled. He wondered if Hammond had been up all night.

"Gentlemen, thank you for being prompt. Early this morning we received an encoded message from the Tok'ra."

"The Tok'ra?" repeated Jack with skepticism.

"Yes. The message indicated that they were aware of Major Carter's situation and that they would be able to assist us in our efforts to retrieve her."

"Really?" interjected Daniel, "And what are they saying they'll do to help?"

"We were given a rendezvous point and time. An operative will meet you there at 1300 to give you the relevant information."

"What's the catch?"

Hammond frowned over at Jack.

The Colonel shrugged. "There's always a catch with the Tok'ra. You know that, sir."

The General paused for a moment before speaking. "They requested that only the three of you go _and_ they also require that we do not send a MALP through beforehand."

"Are you serious?" spouted Daniel, cutting off Jack's chance at a smart-ass response.

"Those are their terms. I don't have to tell you that it seems like a trap."

Jack knew that at least Teal'c agreed, although Daniel certainly wasn't as green as he used to be. "No, no you don't, sir. Question is, do we try springing it and hope that it gets us to Carter?"

"I'm not certain, Colonel. You'd be at worst risking loss of life and at best, potential imprisonment by hostiles. I don't think either of those options is in the best interest of all involved, even if it is to rescue Major Carter."

"So, we're just going to ignore this opportunity on the chance that it's a trap?" questioned Daniel.

"Why? You like being thrown in prison and shot, Daniel?"

"Well, no," admitted the archaeologist, "But this can't be our only option."

"Do you have any alternate suggestions, Doctor Jackson?" invited Hammond, amenably.

"Uh," stalled Daniel, his face scrunching up in thought, "What about sending the MALP anyway?"

"The Tok'ra's message indicated that this particular planet is goa'uld controlled and previous information on our end confirms their assertion. The Tok'ra operative is supposed to retrieve you during an opening in the guard rotation at the gate. I can only assume that they do not want your arrival announced prematurely by sending a MALP."

"To which world are we to travel, General Hammond?" asked Teal'c.

"P4M-713, a gate address from the Abydos cartouche, although we have yet to visit."

"Any idea which snake-head operates there?" asked Jack.

"No," answered Hammond, "The communication was rather vague on the particulars."

Jack made a disgusted sound.

"Colonel?" the General turned to his 2IC.

"Oh, you know how I feel about the Tok'ra, sir."

Hammond smiled grimly. "Yes, I believe you've made yourself clear on that front, Colonel."

"Well, despite the fact that I am almost one-hundred percent that the Tok'ra might be hanging us out to dry _again_…this is still probably the best shot we've got to rescue Carter," admitted Jack, grudgingly.

"I'm still not satisfied with the potential ramifications of the Tok'ra's conditions."

"Well, General, what if we ignored both mandates? Are they really not going to help us out if we send a MALP and bring a few extra people for back up?"

With a sigh, Hammond looked over at the linguist. "And risk damaging what's left of our alliance?"

"With all due respect, sir, what alliance? They've made it perfectly clear that they don't care for the way we operate, and the feeling's mutual," insisted Jack.

Teal'c decided to weigh in at that moment. "Perhaps it would be most prudent to send the MALP through just moments before the rendezvous time. Then we may ascertain the situation without risking ourselves unnecessarily."

Hammond considered the Jaffa's suggestion for a moment and then nodded sharply. "Agreed. You'll wait for my signal and if all is clear, you will proceed. Let's hold off on the other SG team for now, in an effort to preserve the alliance."

"Hopefully, the Tok'ra won't get their panties all up in a bunch when they realize we've ignored their request," mused the Colonel.

The General ignored Jack and turned toward Daniel. "Doctor Frasier has assured me that your injury will not prevent you from participating in this mission. However, if you feel that –"

"No, no…I feel fine. A little sore, but fine," insisted Daniel.

"Well, then I'm giving you the go-ahead, SG-1. You have until 1300 to rest up," recommended Hammond, his eyes lingering on the dark circles under Jack and Daniel's eyes. He stood and Jack followed suit, waiting until his CO had vanished into his office before slumping back down into his chair.

After a moment of heavy silence, Jack shook his head and glanced over at his teammates. Daniel looked like he wanted to say something, but was biting his tongue. And Teal'c had his hands folded in front of him, his expression contemplative.

"You know, this just has massive 'accident waiting to happen' written all over it," declared Jack, dubiousness written all over his face.

When neither of his teammates immediately responded, he rose from his seat. "Well, you heard Hammond. Rest up and we'll meet in the gate room at 1250."

* * *

**Gate room, Earth**

Roughly five and a half hours later, the three members of SG-1 stood in the gate room, watching the gate dial up. The MALP was already positioned on the lower half of the ramp.

"O'Neill," prompted Teal'c.

"Yeah?"

"Have you any prediction regarding which Tok'ra will potentially provide assistance?"

"Naw, they're pretty much all conniving, self-interested, devious–"

"Jaaack," griped Daniel, "Stop stereotyping an entire group based on the actions of a few."

"Really, Daniel? They purposely mislead and misinform us to better suit their needs. Remember those arm bands? And those zart'tickle tests? The last time I trusted those slippery bastards, I ended up on a rescue mission that I didn't sign up for just because a snake decided it felt guilty for dumping its ex-girlfriend. And after that, they jumped ship on our alliance because they are a bunch of cowardly, narcissistic–"

"We get it, Jack," cut in Daniel, "You're not their biggest fan."

The gate's wormhole engaged and Jack looked back over his shoulder at the control room.

Hammond leaned forward and spoke into the microphone. "Send in the MALP."

The robot rumbled up the ramp and through the luminescent puddle.

After a few moments of silence, the microphone crackled back to life. "Looks clear, Colonel. You have a go."

"Yes, sir." Jack added a sloppy salute and turned back around to follow Teal'c and Daniel through the gate.

"Time to see if those sleazy, smarmy –" started Jack, stepping through the event horizon.

"–poorly-dressed, mother–" Jack continued as he rematerialized, but stopped when he noticed their unexpected greeting party. Several dozen Jaffa were waiting for them, their weapons primed.

"Ah, crap."

* * *

**Ares' Ha'tak, Hyperspace**

"Oh, that's getting _really_ old," groaned Sam as she regained consciousness, feeling extremely lethargic.

"Unconsciousness is a common side effect of that particular treatment," answered a disembodied voice from above her.

Sam opened her eyes and found Eris standing over her.

"Great. Thanks for the warning."

A bright light flashed over Sam's face and she winced in response. The light proceeded down her body and she glanced up at the goa'uld.

"What was that?"

"A piece of scanning equipment."

"And _why_ did you feel the pressing need to blind me with it?"

Eris frowned disapprovingly. "I was evaluating your health."

"You seem to do that a lot," observed Sam, irritation tinting her tone.

"As I indicated previously, the host must demonstrate sufficient physical condition before implantation."

"I'd really prefer not to be implanted if I can help it, thank you very much."

The goa'uld looked down at her, disdainfully. "That is not in your control. Now be silent."

Sam blinked a few times, focusing on the sensation of her eyelids sticking to her eyeballs. She tried to roll to the side, but Eris grasped her shoulder and slammed it back onto the table.

"Jaffa, kree," barked the goa'uld. The two burly guards entered the room and took positions on either side of the table. "Flip her over and restrain her."

Eyelids suddenly no longer tacky, Sam tried to resist her captors. But the drug that Eris injected her with had drained her strength, and the Jaffa easily handled her as if she was a rag doll.

"Now, keep her immobile," instructed Eris as she walked away.

There was a rustling sound from some distance away and then the clanking of metal on metal. A splashing sound was followed by the unmistakable squeal of a symbiote, which made Sam's stomach turn. She closed her eyes and swallowed, all her bravado fleeing her momentarily.

"Please, don't do this. Surely there's another way."

A haughty laugh rang across the room, followed by an arrogant voice that Sam quickly identified as Ares'. "Ah, but this is the best way to obtain all the knowledge of the Tau'ri and the Tok'ra for my master."

"I am no longer allied with the Tau'ri and I wasn't host to Jolinar for long enough to retain anything," spat Sam, renewing her struggle against the Jaffa, "You'll get _nothing_."

"Perhaps," conceded Ares, chuckling again, "but you will still make a fine host for my queen, Enyo."

"Go to hell," responded Sam, fury back in control of her mouth.

Ares seemed to ignore her rejoinder. "Carry on, Eris."

Sam sensed the female goa'uld come closer and the symbiote's squealing became louder.

She swallowed once more. "Wait…stop!"

The sensation of the goa'uld's scales slithering across the back of Sam's neck made her want to vomit. She bucked again and again, hoping to escape the Jaffa restraining her.

But it was all futile. With a final, victorious screech, the symbiote buried itself into her neck.

And Sam screamed in pure agony.

* * *

**A/N:** Thanks to all who've read, reviewed, alerted, and favorited.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17 – P4M-713**

"You know, this _really_ bites."

"Relinquish your weapons, Tau'ri," demanded one of the Jaffa.

Daniel and Teal'c were still aiming their weapons at the Jaffa. Jack pursed his lips and quickly evaluated the situation. By his count, there were at least twenty-seven Jaffa surrounding them and every single one had a staff weapon. There was no available cover for his team, although the Jaffa had sprouted from behind moss-covered ruins distributed haphazardly around the gate. They'd obviously been hiding out of view of the MALP's camera. Sneaky buggers.

"I _said_, relinquish your weapons. You are surrounded and we will not hesitate to kill you."

"Yeah, do what they say," commanded Jack, grudgingly.

"Jack?"

"You heard me, Daniel. Hand 'em over. They won this round."

The Jaffa in charge sneered at them as his minions took their P-90s, pulled the radios from their vests, and removed their GDOs. "My master will be most pleased with the ease of your capture."

Jack gave him his best stink eye. "And who exactly would that be?"

"We serve our mighty and powerful god, Hadad."

"Mighty and powerful, huh? Sure that's not 'great and terrible'?"

Jack heard Daniel sigh to his left.

Several Jaffa stepped out from behind the stone ruins and prodded them into a group using the butts of their weapons. With a series of sharp jabs to their backs, it was made clear that the team was to be led in a forced-march away from the gate.

After about ten minutes of silent walking, the trees thinned out and they could see a ha'tak grounded in the distance.

Daniel sidled up to Jack. "Did you see their foreheads?"

"Yeah," responded the Colonel, gruffly, "Looks like Ba'al's our latest warden."

"Well, technically, that would be Hadad."

"Who serves Ba'al. I see no distinction here."

Daniel gave him an exasperated look. "Maybe Hadad is, uh, you know…well, you know…"

"Spit it out, Daniel. You know I hate when you make me play Mad Libs."

The archaeologist lowered his voice to a whisper. "He could be a Tok'ra."

"Ah, that makes sense."

"How so, O'Neill?" Teal'c joined the hushed conversation.

"Only a Tok'ra would be stupid enough to think that tricking us into getting captured would be a good plan."

Daniel opened his mouth and then shut it, appearing to think better of what he was going to say.

They descended into the valley where the ha'tak was resting. Jack noticed the lack of goa'uld-related development and buildings; the area could have been straight off a postcard of British Columbia. Except for the honking spaceship sitting in the middle of the pine stand.

Jack decided to comment. "Kind of a strange spot for a ship to set down, don'tcha think?"

The archaeologist frowned. "Uh, yeah. I was just thinking that, too."

"Do we currently have a course of action?" inquired Teal'c.

Jack took stock of their situation. Their Jaffa guard had remained vigilant throughout the march, with several zats remaining primed and ready to fire. And his team was disarmed and had neither radios nor GDOs. Not ideal conditions for an escape.

"Naw. We need to get more information. For all we know, this actually is a Tok'ra 'strategy' and we need to reach the ship before they can give us the intel on Carter." Then Jack added as an afterthought, "Keep an eye out, though."

"Indeed."

Twenty minutes later, their Jaffa guard led them into the ziggurat (Jack did remember at least that much from their little field trip with the Russians to see Marmalade, or whatever his name had been) upon which the ha'tak was resting. They were split into two groups to ring up, staff weapons and zats pointed at them the entire time. Apparently Hadad was taking no unnecessary chances on them attempting escape.

A stroll down twisting hallways had them arriving shortly at an unsurprisingly familiar destination.

"You know, I rather hoped you'd give us the honeymoon suite this time," commented Jack, wryly. He received a face-full of staff weapon for his snide remark and stumbled into the prison cell.

The rest of his team joined him, and as the door slid shut, Jack couldn't help but add a parting shot, "What, no mints on the pillows?"

"Jack, do you have to antagonize them?"

The Colonel shrugged. "Hey, they're the ones who captured us, so the least I can do is make their lives as miserable as ours." He turned away from the door and addressed the entire team, "Ok, looks like we're just going to settle in for now until Hadad comes along to do the usual snake-head gloating."

The three men spread around the room, Teal'c on the back wall, Daniel and Jack facing opposite sides. Daniel tried to break the melancholy mood by reciting everything about Hadad he could remember, but the Colonel ignored him for the most part. Teal'c remained his usual self, though Jack was certain that he was perturbed internally.

It didn't take very long before steady footsteps approached the cell, their owner stopping just outside of Jack's visual range. A distinct voice dismissed the pair of Jaffa standing outside of their room and there was silence for nearly a full minute as the Jaffa's clanking faded into the distance.

And then the voice spoke again, tinged with poorly veiled vexation.

"Just how in the hell did you land my daughter in trouble this time, Jack?"

* * *

**Ares' Ha'tak, Hyperspace**

It was almost like she remembered it felt like when she was possessed by Jolinar. The inability to manipulate her movements was the same. The sensation of being a prisoner within her own body, of being violated, was just like before. Even the feeling of someone else's consciousness invading hers, like an insidious virus infecting healthy tissue, was identical.

Everything was the same, except for the excruciating pain. The symbiote, Enyo, was inflicting unbearable pain in ever-increasing waves of intensity. Jolinar had never hurt her like this.

She wanted to scream, and then scream some more. Scream until her jaw locked into place, until her lungs burned, and her eyes were filled with stars from being screwed up so tight for so long.

And then she wanted to curse and spit and vomit and weep and scrape off all her skin and rip off her fingernails and scratch open her arteries until all her blood oozed out onto the golden table below her. She would give almost anything to relieve the pain, to cease the sensation of her muscles being electrocuted by her bones.

But the bitch just kept torturing her.

Sam felt her body contorting as Enyo flipped over and then flexed her arms and legs. The goa'uld took a moment to apprise the rest of her new body. "This host is a superior specimen," evaluated the goa'uld, using Sam's lips to form words that were not of her own volition.

Ares' voice seemed distant. "I procured the best available, my queen."

Eris handed Enyo a mirror and the goa'uld examined Sam's reflection. She ran her right hand along Sam's jaw, and then up to her nose and her eyes. Enyo critiqued Sam's appearance in her head, forcing Sam to listen along, '_Rather plain, although the eyes are pleasing...the skin is thin but unblemished. Perhaps her physical prowess will be sufficient to overcome her obvious lack of beauty. Certainly some embellishments will achieve an appearance more fitting of a goddess_'. She moved the tips of her fingers down and traced along Sam's throat, lifting her chin in the process. '_This host could_ _conceivably suit my needs, at least for the time being'._ Enyo evaluated the bold tattoo emblazoned on Sam's right forearm. _'This is an unfortunate mar, but I suppose that I can conceal it with a decorative covering.'_

Sam howled in rage and threw her consciousness against the goa'uld's control. Enyo stilled her motions momentarily. "This host also possesses a strong will. And a mind enriched with vast knowledge regarding the Tau'ri."

"Yes, another reason why she was chosen as your vessel, my queen. Ba'al will be most pleased by our information and will see fit to reward us."

An uncharacteristically smug smile pulled at Sam's lips. "So Ba'al is our latest master? We are no longer allied with Bastet?"

Ares took the mirror from Sam's left hand and placed it back on the table. "Ba'al's forces overwhelmed what remained of her fleet after Anubis decimated it. I had little choice but to pledge my loyalty to Bastet's conqueror."

"And Anubis continues to roam the galaxy unchecked?"

"Yes. However, Ba'al has a plan to eternally eliminate him and we will play a paramount role in it. Possibly significant enough to merit inclusion into the system lords once Anubis is disposed of."

Enyo leaned toward Ares, supporting herself on her right arm. "Hmm…that would be most excellent. We have coveted such a position for some time. What part exactly do we play?"

Ares smiled haughtily. "In good time, my queen." He moved in front of Sam and stepped closer, trapping her body between his arms braced against the table. His perfectly chiseled features invaded her personal space, but Enyo did not move away. "In time, I will give you all the details you desire. But right now, I wish to properly indulge in your new host."

And Sam could only scream internally once more as Ares' teeth bit down on her lower lip.

* * *

**A/N:** As always, thanks to everyone who reviewed, favorited, alerted, and read!


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18 – Goa'uld prison, P4M-713**

"Jacob, that you?"

The man in question stepped into view and eyed the occupants of the cell disapprovingly. "I see you followed my directions to the letter, per usual."

The Colonel shrugged. "You didn't give us any other choice. Gate to a planet without a MALP to check things out? Pretty dumb plan; we knew it was a trap from the get-go."

Jacob looked perturbed. "I told you not to send a MALP because I _wanted_ you to realize that it was a trap."

"And that was supposed to help us how?" questioned Jack, incredulously.

"The idea was that it would alert you to the fact that your Tok'ra contact – in this case, me – was undercover. I knew you would send a MALP anyway, so I instructed the Jaffa to remain out of sight."

"You could have just _told_ us it was you…instead of going with the whole 'cloak-and-dagger' routine."

"I couldn't risk the possibility that my communication would be intercepted. It was the best I could come up with on such short notice."

"Still, a stupid plan," taunted the Colonel, "I thought you snakes were supposed to be smart or something. I mean, you live for like a couple thousand years, right? You ought to be practically Einstein-smart by now."

"Jack, I'm trying to be patient here," warned Jacob. "You need this information, believe me."

"And yet, tricking us was still the best way to give it to us?"

"I knew you'd have a problem if you were aware of my connection to Ba'al."

"I have a problem with being lied to, _again_." Jack's voice was steadily increasing in volume and his scowl was getting more pronounced.

Jacob looked over his shoulder and then back at his incarcerated allies. "Do you mind keeping it down? I'm trying to maintain my cover here."

Jack evaluated the older man's overly decorative garb. "And exactly who are you supposed to be for Halloween this year?"

"I'm undercover as a minor goa'uld to Ba'al. He's been in the process of developing something big for a little over a year now."

"Like what?" inquired Daniel. Jack shot an irritated look at his teammate, but the other man ignored him.

"Ba'al's been gathering hundreds of humans, but not to turn them into Jaffa. We think it might have something to do with combating Anubis' drones."

"Who cares? We're here so you can tell us where we can find Carter."

"That's directly related to what I'm trying to explain," Jacob chided, "Ares is currently working with Ba'al to alter these humans somehow."

"Still don't care," proclaimed Jack, flippantly. Daniel sighed in frustration, no doubt at him.

Jacob wasn't taking any of his flack. "Damn it, Jack. Stop acting like a five-year old. I'm trying to help you rescue Sam."

"Oh, like you helped us get her off that planet?"

Jacob looked perplexed. "My information said she was currently on Ares' flagship."

"I'm not talking about right now; I'm talking about Carter being stuck on that damn rock for the last eighteen months!"

The Tok'ra's expression turned murderous. "What? What 'rock'?" he demanded to know.

Daniel's brow crinkled. "What do you mean, 'what rock'? Surely you remember our request to rescue her about a year and a half ago."

"No. What are you talking about?"

"Sam's been stranded off-world since just after the Tok'ra and Jaffa ended our alliance. We couldn't get to her until a few days ago," explained Daniel, slowly.

"That's just…I don't understand." Jacob began to pace. "Are you telling me that Sam's been stuck and the Tok'ra knew about it?"

Jack chimed in, smugly. "What's wrong, Jacob? Your best snake-buddies kick you outta the secret clubhouse?"

Jacob shot him an exasperated look. "Since the Tok'ra broke off from the alliance, I've been under some scrutiny regarding my allegiances. In fact, they sent me on this mission to test my willingness to be out of communication with Earth and the SGC for a prolonged period of time."

Daniel frowned. "So why would they tell you about Sam now?"

"The Tok'ra informed me because she is a liability in her current position. If Ares uses her in his experiments–"

Jack interrupted. "Ares snagged her personally. He didn't say anything about an experiment."

Jacob shot the Colonel an irate look and spoke rapidly. "And you just let him? Our current intelligence indicates that his queen's previous host died unexpectedly and that Ares has been looking for a suitable new host ever since. What if he decides that-"

"No, we didn't 'just let him'," snapped Jack. "You think I'd allow her to get taken away like that without a fight?"

The Tok'ra's eyes narrowed. "And just how _did_ she get trapped on that planet in the first place?"

Jack couldn't help the guilty look that flitted across his face, nor prevent the other man from noticing.

"You had something to do with it, didn't you, Jack?" accused Jacob.

Daniel stepped in. "Actually, it was kind of a freak accident thing. The gate automatically shut down because the planet's EM field interfered with the wormhole and space-travel. Sam didn't make it off-world before the wormhole disengaged. And the EM field didn't abate for eighteen months, so we had to wait to get to her."

"And she was alone that whole time?"

"Yeah," answered Daniel, with an uncomfortable grimace.

"I see." Jack could tell that Jacob was positively fuming. "Well, I think I've heard enough for now."

Jack cocked his head to the side. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I think it's best if you all stay put. Ares is set to arrive in another day; I'll retrieve you then."

"Excuse me? You're just going to leave us in here to rot?"

"I don't care what Daniel says, Jack. I know there's more that you aren't telling me about my daughter being abandoned."

"Really?" the sarcasm in Jack's voice was palpable, "Because she certainly seemed upset about _you_ leaving her after the Alpha site got blown away."

Jacob was incensed. "_That _is none of your business and this discussion is over. You'll all stay here until I retrieve you." And the Tok'ra stormed away before Jack or anyone else could get a word in.

Jack closed his eyes and sighed, his energy zapped.

"Geez, Jack. Do you think you could try to be a bigger ass? Jacob, the Jaffa before that, and before that, uh…"

The Colonel looked over his shoulder. "Who, Daniel? Who else have I been an 'ass' to lately?"

The archaeologist looked like he wanted to answer, but rethought his position and instead responded with, "I just don't think that antagonizing Jacob was the best way to get him to help us."

"Yeah," admitted the Colonel after a moment, turning back to the now-empty corridor. He wearily rested his forehead on the gold bars. "You might be right about that one."

* * *

**Ares' Ha'tak, Hyperspace**

With a passionate moan, Enyo responded to her lord's kiss, completely ignoring Sam's outcry. She placed her host's hands on Ares' upper arms and pulled him closer until his torso was pressing against hers. The kiss continued to deepen and Ares' hands began to creep up the outside of Sam's thighs. She could feel the cold metal of the hilt of his sword against her knee, but Enyo had control of her hands, making it impossible for her to grab for Ares' sword.

Sam was absolutely seething. How dare this bitch use her body like this? Desperately, she railed against Enyo's consciousness, clawing at the goa'uld's writhing tendrils as they tried to penetrate her own psyche. The feelers responded by squeezing tighter and tighter; the pain synchronizing with the increasing pressure. But no matter how intensely Sam protested, she couldn't move her arms to slap Ares' lecherous hands away or snatch his weapon. It was wholly unbearable. She'd never experienced anything like this excruciating duo of physical and mental assaults.

Still she persisted, slashing and kicking and elbowing and biting, unwilling to also relinquish control of her mind to the haughty leech. Intermittently, malevolent whispers insulted her ineffectual attempts to fight off the parasite's possession of her body. Sam couldn't be sure if the voices were coming from the goa'uld or her.

The smothering tentacles suddenly overwhelmed her and she was rendered completely senseless. It was like someone had simultaneously blindfolded her and blocked out all the sound. Sam couldn't even sense what Enyo was doing with her body anymore. She realized that this was even more disconcerting than watching the goa'uld manipulate her body. Sam _knew_ that Enyo was still using her, but now she couldn't even see what was happening. And the silence, the lack of sensation in general, was extremely unnerving. There wasn't even an impression of space; she could have been in a box or in a chasm for all she could tell. And the darkness was of a sort that sucked away at everything around it until there was nothing left but a vacuum of nonexistence.

Sam tried to push against the blackness, but it slipped away from her. She felt around, trying to determine the boundaries of her prison, but they proved elusive. Every time she connected with a surface, it warped away, distorting back into the nothingness.

A spiteful voice interrupted her exploration, "_What are you attempting?_"

Sam felt the voice, instead of hearing it. It vibrated around her, coming from somewhere beyond the nothingness. She reached out for the shifting wall again.

"_I ask once more, what are you attempting?_"

"Who is that?" questioned Sam, despite having an unhappy hunch.

"_I am your goddess, Enyo. Now cease your actions._"

"Oh, I don't think so. You aren't my 'goddess' and I am not going to 'cease' until you get out." The unseen barrier in front of her did not withdraw as quickly as before.

"_You can do precious little to stop me. You are weak and pathetic._"

"Really? Could someone weak and pathetic do this?" asked Sam, slapping an open hand against the shapeless boundary. Her palm sunk into the fluidic surface instead of being repelled as before. Sam could sense the resulting ripple spread around her, despite not being able to directly observe it.

The voice scoffed. "_Your actions in this environment have no influence upon me. I control you completely now, body and mind._"

Sam pulled her left hand away from the barrier and examined it with her right. It felt as it usually did, but she wasn't sure if it should be changed or not. She raised both fists and slammed them into the wall, feeling the ripples lap against her skin.

"Get out of my head and get out of my body."

"_Or you will do what? You are hardly in a position to make demands, foolish Tau'ri. I will never leave. This body belongs to me; it is my property henceforth. And I will use it as I desire._"

"Then I'm going to make your occupation a living hell." Sam removed her fists from the wall and examined them by feel for any residue.

Cliché villain laughter echoed around the void. "_You are at my mercy. You cannot do anything to affect me. I have trapped you within this realm, where you shall remain for an eternity. You have already failed._"

Sam focused her concentration on the hardening obstruction around her. It was still slippery, but no longer caved when her fingertips brushed against it. She couldn't decide if that was a good thing or not.

"And this place is meant to be a prison?"

"_Yes. Only the strongest of all goa'uld can banish their hosts to this obsolete emptiness. You will slowly go mad. And I will be instrumental in your gradual, deliberate degeneration._"

A sharp stinging sensation made Sam flinch away from the barrier.

And then the stinging became itching and that gave way to burning. Sam fell to the ground and instinctively curled into a ball, trying to protect herself. But the burning was everywhere; it spanned her entire her body and scalded her mind.

"_So we begin_."

* * *

**A/N: **Thank you to all who have reviewed, alerted, favorited, and read!


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N:** This chapter is rather graphic…in that Enyo viciously tortures Sam. If you don't want to read about it, then skip down to the author's note at the bottom, which will contain a brief summary. Just thought I'd warn you.

**

* * *

Chapter 19 –** **Ares' Ha'tak, Hyperspace**

"No, no, no, no, no, no…" chanted Sam, clutching her head between her hands. She whipped it back and forth, as if that motion could somehow dislodge the sensation of her brain being cooked from the inside out. The rest of her body was twitching uncontrollably, muscles flexing and extending as if flames were actually scorching her organs. Her nails dug into her skin, pulling chunks away as her hands moved from her temples down to her throat. Although she couldn't distinguish the burning feeling from the warm blood oozing down her face, Sam knew she was bleeding because her palms were slipping as she tried to grab her throat. If she could just squeeze for long enough, she could force herself to pass out.

Then there was unexpectedly no more pain. Had she ever existed without it? Sam flipped onto her back and looked out into the blackness, dully focusing on nothing.

"_There is no escape. You are in a world of my design. You continue to exist because I desire it to be so, to serve my amusement. I am free to manipulate your body in this environment. I am in exclusive control of your fate; I decide when you feel pain and when you do not._"

There was a gradual increase in pressure on her hands and feet. Sam tried to move, but a smothering force crushed her backbone into the prison floor. The goa'uld was crushing her and Sam couldn't squirm away from the downward stress. Her knees locked and her ribcage began to flex inward, but it was her fingers that were the first to snap, doing so with a nauseating crunch. Her toes and feet followed, and then her clavicles broke and impaled her shoulders. But still the pressure increased, pulverizing her wrists and fracturing her knee caps. Sam could hear her vertebrate individually popping out of alignment, yanking her nerves along with the dislocating pieces of spine.

Could you black out in this sort of place? Surely, if the pain became too much her mind would simply shut down?

"_You will never escape my presence and attentions. You will experience suffering beyond anything you've known previously. I control you, I own you. There will be no respite from my wraith for I am your goddess. You will beg me for mercy and I will not grant it. You will wail and plead and still I will not give you rest. You will dream of death while you remain in my nightmare. And you will love me for all of it._"

An inhuman keening sound permeated the void. Sam did not realize she was generating the sound until her ribcage finally gave way and she began whimpering in conjunction with her forced exhalations. Blood gurgled in her throat and she was certain that she would suffocate.

Enyo just cackled at her reaction. "_It appears you require an education on the sensation of pain, as I see you have been poorly introduced. Fortunately for you, I am a proficient instructor. Every one of my previous hosts ultimately broke, and begged for my love, for my attentions. You will be no different._"

The pressure slowly lifted. Sam's bones miraculously healed as the weight dissipated, but it was almost more painful to experience the bones knitting themselves back together than it was for them to break. As her vertebrate shifted back into place and her frayed nerves reconnected, Sam let out a piercing cry. Nothing had ever hurt this badly ever before.

Changing tactics, Enyo began to rifle through her memories. She started slowly, as if she was savoring the new sensations Sam could offer her. Images of all of the worlds to which she had traveled, impressions of the people they'd met, unappetizing foods and unfamiliar smells, alien technologies and gate addresses were perused.

But the goa'uld's appetite for suffering was not satisfied with her cursory examination of Sam's memories. And allowing Sam to remain an inactive observer was apparently also insufficient, because Enyo dragged Sam down with her; numbers and formulas burning into her retinas, a cacophony of music and other sounds obliterating her eardrums, her skin simultaneously freezing and burning and wet and peeling and bleeding, she was running and walking and laughing and fighting and shooting and crying and arguing, her brother was there and so was her thesis adviser and so was Jonas and and Urgo and Jonah and Walter and Dr. Lee and the Entity and Felger and so was her father and Martouf and Jolinar and Bra'tac and the General and Teal'c and Daniel and the Colonel…

And it was all too much, too much, TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH…

Sam's nerves shrieked. Oh God, oh God, it had never hurt this much when Jolinar meandered through her mind.

Enyo began to gleefully shred Sam's memories with wicked claws and she could feel them vanishing from her perception. The fragments ignited with every slash, illuminating a mouthful of gnashing, pointed teeth. Sam watched helplessly as the teeth ripped into recollections of high school socials, and sharpened claws sliced through memories of early morning physical training at the Academy.

Then the teeth latched onto a particularly vibrant early memory of SG-1 and Enyo crowed in delight as she felt Sam's consciousness suddenly lurch forward in response. "_You will never see any of them ever again. But rest assured, I will find them in the real world and rip them apart. They will die seeing your face and know that you did nothing to save them. I will torture them as I have you, and they will hate you for breaking each of them._"

"No, no, no….stop!" sobbed Sam, half fearful and half angry. She focused all of her will upon preserving that memory, on protecting her team. And somehow, she managed to preserve the image, saving it from the venomous destruction of the goa'uld.

Enyo howled and tried to slash it apart, but nothing she did altered the status of the memory. The goa'uld turned her livid, glowing eyes onto Sam and launched at the defenseless Major, claws extended.

But Sam's eyes lingered on the memory. If she was capable of protecting an image…her focus shifted to the approaching danger and she willed a defensive cocoon about her figure. Enyo slammed into an unseen barrier, colorfully cursing in goa'uld.

Elated, Sam kicked at the goa'uld, but it had no effect. Her foot never made contact with the beast-like manifestation of Enyo; instead, it warped away from her. Sam tried connecting again, but the result was unchanged.

Enyo recovered and attacked, slashing at Sam, but her claws became entangled in an unseen obstruction. The goa'uld hissed in anger and attempted to bite her. But the grotesque jaws met with resistance and remained a safe distance away from Sam's body.

The goa'uld withdrew and assessed her prey. Sam felt a prickling at the back of her neck and instantly focused everything on protecting against Enyo's attack. The prickling subsided and then vanished altogether.

A newly developed inconsistency in the black barrier around them caught Sam's eye. She stepped toward the wall and ran her hand over the blemish.

"_What are you doing?_" demanded Enyo, clearly disturbed by her inability to hurt Sam.

Sam picked at the uneven spot, ignoring the goa'uld but not to the point that she neglected her protection. The spot was some sort of imperfection in the blackness enveloping her. She worked at it steadily with her hands, trying to get a feel for the anomaly's dimensions.

The goa'uld tried to goad her. "_Your punishment for this will be unimaginable. I will annihilate every last memory you possess of your feeble friends. And then I will make you relive their deaths over and over until you are driven mad by the sight of their lifeless, broken corpses._"

The spot gave a little, and Sam pulled at it until it came away from the wall, exposing something that wasn't nothingness. She didn't know how to describe it, but she just _knew_ that it wasn't nothingness and wasn't from this void realm.

And then comprehension dawned and Sam laughed bitterly. She turned back to the set of glowing eyes. "This was all meant to deceive me into believing that you'd beaten me. But in reality, I'm the one who's winning. And _you_ are the one who's weak and pathetic."

She turned back to the wall. With a forceful shove, she threw all of her consciousness at the exposed something.

And just as suddenly as she'd been entrapped, Sam was jolted away from the nothingness. The shift was disorienting, but she was able to regain a sense of her external environment.

Ares' hands were still moving up her legs, but Enyo was no longer rubbing her body against his breastplate. In fact, Sam's body was frozen in place.

Had all of that happened in mere seconds?

Ares must have noticed Enyo was no longer responding to his touch, because he pulled away and regarded her contorted expression.

"What is it?" he demanded, grabbing Sam's jaw line, "What is wrong, my queen?"

Enyo blinked Sam's eyes several times before responding. "Nothing, my lord. I am merely continuing to adjust to this new host."

Ares scrutinized Sam's expression. "Are you certain?"

A throat clearing to the side had both goa'ulds pausing. "My lord, I must insist upon continued monitoring of the host. As you recall, the previous host expired unexpectedly. We must be certain that our queen is properly matched."

The red-armored goa'uld nodded once, sharply. "Then proceed, Eris. I must attend to the Drakons in the meantime. Ba'al will be expecting a report on their preparedness." He swept out of the room, flipping his cape behind him.

Enyo shifted her gaze over to the other goa'uld. "There is nothing wrong with this host."

With a slight bow, Eris responded obediently, "Yes, my queen. If you are certain."

Through bared teeth, Enyo asserted, "I am fine." But Sam knew otherwise.

**

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A/N:** So, if you decided to skip down (and I am totally not judging if you did), then here's the short version of what happened in this chapter:

Enyo delights in torturing Sam for a bit and then decides to go through her memories. She eventually runs across a memory of SG-1, from which Sam draws strength. This enables Sam to buck some of Enyo's control, which allows her the opportunity to find a hole in the void. She forces herself through the hole and ends up breaking out of the nothingness. This almost makes Enyo lose control of Sam as a host, and Ares notices her slip. Eris recommends that they monitor Sam/Enyo a little closer.

Thank you for all your reviews, alerts, favorites, and lastly for reading!


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20 – Goa'uld prison, P4M-713**

Jack would never admit it out loud, but he was dog tired. Thankfully, Daniel suggested they all get some shut-eye before Jacob's return. SG-1 had been running on little more than adrenaline and hope, so everyone was amenable to the suggestion.

But Jack wasn't happy when Daniel pulled the watch right before his. The archaeologist had been particularly adamant about that arrangement. Which could only mean one thing; Daniel was dead-set on talking to him.

As Jack predicted, Daniel woke him and then took a seat to his right. Jack pretended not to notice and instead focused his attention on the corridor. Daniel shifted positions, stretching his left leg out.

Jack decided to preempt the archaeologist. "How's the leg?"

"Uh, a little stiff. But Janet said that it would be like that for a while." He paused. "Actually, I'm sort of surprised she let me go on this mission without at least a couple days of keeping off my feet."

The Colonel just grunted.

"But, I suppose she's just as concerned about this mission's outcome as all of us are."

Jack looked over at Teal'c's sleeping form. "Yeah, but Frasier's not stupid. She wouldn't have let you go if she didn't think you were ready. She's held us back plenty of other times."

"I suppose."

Daniel began to steer the conversation. "So, at least Jacob's our contact on this one. Can you imagine if it were Malek or Thoran?"

Jack set his jaw. He hardly wanted to imagine anything to do with Kanan, especially here and now.

The archaeologist seemed to realize his faux pas. "Then again, we could have met up with Anise," he offered, rushing his words.

"_That_ would hardly be an improvement. She was trouble every time she showed up."

"Well, maybe not 'trouble'. We wouldn't have otherwise been able to destroy Apophis' prototype mothership and she did try to help us figure out if anyone in the SGC had been compromised by Za'tarc programming."

Jack looked at his teammate in irritation. "You're only putting a positive spin on both of those experiences because you like that she's a nerd like you."

Daniel frowned, like he was offended. "No, I just –"

"Admit it, you like the snake."

"Uh, well, I suppose that I enjoyed some of the intellectual discussions we had. Anise was an extremely competent archaeologist. And having a genetic memory certainly didn't hinder her abilities as a scientist."

Jack rolled his eyes. "And?"

"And, what?"

"Oh come on, you totally were digging the host, too."

Daniel flushed. "No, well, Freya was rather attractive in," he struggled to find the words, "in, uh…in an 'appreciation of women' sense."

"Appreciation of women, huh?" Jack very nearly grinned at Daniel's verbal fumbles.

"Well, she did, uh, have nice hair." The younger man shifted his leg.

"Yes, there was that." Jack knew that hair was the last thing on Daniel's mind, not that he'd admit to the same thing, mind you.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Daniel started again. "So, you know, we haven't really had that much of an opportunity to just talk in a while."

Jack wanted to groan in misery. There had to be a circle of hell reserved for prying archaeologists who were trying to do 'the right thing', whatever that was.

"And anytime we've all slowed down enough to talk, you've always managed to avoid me."

"Daniel, you sound like a jealous girlfriend."

"What?"

"I'm just saying," leveled Jack.

Daniel didn't seem to know how to respond, instead choosing to momentarily consider his thumbs. Needing something to occupy his fidgeting fingers, Jack pulled a granola bar from his vest pocket. One of the Jaffa guards peered into the cell to locate the source of crinkling plastic, but turned back when he observed the foodstuff. Jack offered half to Daniel, and the younger man accepted.

They sat in companionable silence for a while before Daniel spoke again.

"You know, Sam is like the sister I never had."

Jack proceeded to pick a raisin out of his granola bar.

"But we both know that you don't view her that way."

"Get to the point, Daniel."

"That _is_ the point. You both have something so uncommon, so special. And don't think that I don't know what it's like. Sha're and I had something comparable, albeit for a shorter time, but we were at least on intimate terms."

The Colonel continued to remove the offensive dried fruit.

"We'll get her back, you know that, right?"

"Are you saying that to reassure me or you?" asked Jack.

"Sam wants to come home."

Jack shot him an incredulous look. "She sure didn't act like it. _She_ was the one who fought _me_."

"Only after you forced the issue by challenging her.

"Well, it's not exactly like we had gobs of time to sit around and wait for Carter to come to her senses. The gate would have been useless again in less than an hour, and that was before Ares decided to crash our party."

Daniel blinked at him owlishly before sharing his opinion. "You know, I think Sam was trying to find happiness on Aeropos by coping with the situation. But I don't think she was successful.

"Could've fooled me. She seemed awfully content to rule over her little gladiator fiefdom."

"Sam has always taken your lead and deferred to you in all situations. But to survive in her new environment, she had to command her own team of Thracians. And by challenging Sam, you showed that you didn't recognize or respect her new status as a leader," countered the archaeologist.

"Seriously? You're going with psychology to explain her irrational behavior?"

"It's only irrational if your expectation is that she wouldn't change because of her time on that planet."

Jack rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "Yeah."

"You know, maybe her journal could have told us more about what she went through. Too bad we didn't have a chance to read it before Ares showed up."

Jack made a noncommittal sound.

"Unless…" began Daniel, hesitantly, "Unless, you read it, didn't you?"

"I took a gander," admitted the Colonel.

"Why didn't you turn it into Hammond?"

"Because, it didn't seem right. Would you have?"

"Well, no." Daniel scratched his cheek. "So, what did it say?"

"Oh, you know. She tried to fix the gate and it didn't work, so she, um, moved on."

Daniel folded his arms. "Jack."

"What?"

"What did it really say?"

"That was the short of it."

"Oh, come on," appealed Daniel, "Sam is ridiculously meticulous when it comes to her notebooks. Believe me, we've worked together on a multitude of artifacts and I've seen what she writes. There is no way that she didn't at the very least document her progress on repairing the gate."

"Yeah, well, there was a lot of scientific gibberish and really, really complicated formulas with a ton of odd little symbols. I thought I'd save you from boredom by giving you the Cliffs Notes version."

"Did she write anything about how she became Champion? Or why she was so upset with us? Or even how she got that tattoo?"

Jack squinted his eyes. "What does any of that matter?"

"It's the only thing that matters," answered Daniel, exasperated, "And because otherwise we have no frame of reference from which to approach her, and thus to ultimately get her home."

"Somehow I don't think having a 'frame of reference' is going to do us much good if Carter's a goa'uld."

"God, Jack. You can't just keep pretending like nothing happened during the last eighteen months." Noticing the Colonel's skeptical expression, Daniel elaborated with, "Every time one of you goes missing the other becomes completely distraught. But when you get back together again, you pretend like everything is back to normal. Things have changed, whether or not you want to admit it."

"Stop trying to make this into a bigger deal than it is."

"I will when you stop denying that it is a big deal."

"Daniel…"

"No, listen to me, Jack. If you don't face up to this then you're a bigger idiot than I thought."

"I'm not stupid, Daniel."

"No, but you are certainly acting like you are." The archaeologist dropped his hands down into his lap in aggravation. "Taking out your frustrations on everyone around you is not helping us in the long run. I know it's how you cope, Jack, but right now that's putting the entire rescue mission at risk."

Jack's voice dropped a couple of octaves as he deliberately formed his words, "Are you questioning my command competency?"

"No, I'm just trying to point out the fact that your behavior is becoming a detriment. To us as well as to you."

Jack exhaled through his nose.

Daniel refused to yield to Jack's stubbornness. "Do you even know what it was like for me while Sam was trapped? Watching you drift away from all of us, knowing that you were tormenting yourself for her absence? But you didn't let any of us talk to you, no, not even Hammond. I'm surprised he didn't try pulling MacKenzie in to force you to talk, but I think the General was trying to give you a little latitude. Not that you repaid his kindness with any of your own; how many times were you charged with insubordination during the last eighteen months? And how many times did Hammond look the other way, despite knowing that he should rein you in? Good grief, Jack, I'm surprised that he didn't send you packing, especially after you insulted the Asgard, to their faces no less, for not trying to find a way through the Aeropian EM field.

"And then, I had to accept that Teal'c wanted to spend more and more time off-world helping train the free Jaffa. Teal'c is basically the backbone of SG-1, and knowing that even he didn't want to be around was enough to show me how far into disrepair our team had fallen. But at least he had the decency to spend time with me, even if it was simply meals in the commissary. And he wasn't ashamed to talk about how much he missed Sam.

"Oh, and how could I forget the special brand of Jack O'Neill verbal harassment that was uncapped every time we were assigned a scientist. I don't think I've ever seen you harangue a specific group of people so relentlessly, unless I consider the goa'uld, who actually merit some of your ire. But taking out your feelings on undeserving scientists was overboard. And I told you as much on several occasions, but it was always 'shut up, Daniel' or 'get back to work, Daniel'."

The archaeologist took a deep breath. "And then, you're given a journal that could go a long way toward explaining our teammate's reaction to our return, and you won't share what you know. Can you see why I'm just a little upset with you right now?"

Jack gave an affirmative grunt and then watched Daniel stretch out his leg again.

"So, do you want to talk about what you read?" invited the archaeologist.

"I guess."

"Well, I'm willing to listen."

The Colonel glanced around the cell and found Teal'c still asleep and the guards uninterested. He turned back to the younger man and began explaining. "She, uh, worked on the gate for a while, but eventually figured out that it was some nearby Ancient device blocking her ability to dial out. But she didn't have the right tools, so Carter was forced to admit that she couldn't fix it."

"I'm sure that made her angry. Sam hates it when she can't figure out a piece of technology."

"Yeah," agreed Jack, his voice becoming softer, "Well, eventually she stopped trying to fiddle with the device and started to think about her situation."

He paused and considered his next words. Daniel seemed content to let him ruminate for a moment and did not pressure his teammate to immediately continue.

"She said she considered everything she'd done prior to that point to be a waste. That she didn't even know why she was a scientist and a soldier. That none of it mattered. And then she stopped writing in the notebook."

"So, Sam didn't write anything about becoming a gladiator or why she was upset with us?"

"No. But there was a whole section of letters and numbers that didn't look anything like the usual number thingies she used to show at briefings. And they were in with the rest of her personal entries."

Daniel's brow furrowed while he considered what Jack had just revealed. "That could be a code. Sam told me that she was sick of the NID constantly stealing her work before she was finished. And Janet once told me that Sam had been notorious for her cyphers at the Academy. Do you have the notebook with you?"

Jack gave his teammate a calculating look before nodding his head and reaching into his vest pocket. Daniel opened the notebook and started to skim the entries. Jack sat back and waited for Daniel to finish, estimating the number of unnecessary embellishments in the crown molding encircling their cell. He was deciding between nine hundred and a thousand when Daniel turned back toward him with raised eyebrows.

"Well, that is definitely a code. But I have never seen it before, not that I have extensive experience decoding any of Sam's encryptions."

Jack had expected as much, but did not say anything. Daniel looked down at the notebook again, his eyes slightly shimmery, like he was on the verge of crying. Or sneezing.

"But back to the other thing, about Sam's transformation. You know, what I said before about her trying to find happiness is probably true. She couldn't use her scientific knowledge to satisfy her needs, so she resorted to her expertise as a soldier. Now, I doubt that that really was enough to satisfy her, but the point is that she was trying to start over. And shedding all remaining vestiges of her old life, including notebooks, gate knowledge, and even us, was necessary for her to become Achillia."

The Colonel squinted as he processed Daniel's words. "So?"

Daniel placed his palm on the notebook's cover. "You do realize that Sam was not wrong to try to move on, right?"

Jack said nothing.

"You…" started Daniel with a frown, "blame her for something."

Jack stood, his knees cracking. "Nope. Never said that."

The archaeologist looked up at him. "No. But you wouldn't, at least, not to any of us."

The Colonel began pacing in front of his teammate, who gave him a moment to collect his thoughts. He carefully spoke in a low voice. "I don't blame Carter for anything. I, just, find her actions confusing." His speech slowed as he tried to find the best words to convey his jumbled thoughts. "She, uh, her…I just don't get it." He pulled his cap off and ran his hand through his hair.

The corner of Daniel's lips quirked, probably at his inability to articulate. "What, Jack, what don't you get?"

He replaced his cap and started pacing. "Everything. Why would she not want to come home? Why is she so angry at us?" He pointed at the book in Daniel's hands. "Her journal said nothing about begrudging us or blaming us. Why then the 'tude?"

Daniel sighed. "Honestly, I have no idea. There is obviously something deep in her psyche that is disturbing her. Sam is one of the most rational people I know – " At Jack's sharp look, he amended, "Er, knew. She has changed, but frankly, I would be surprised if she hadn't."

Jack eyed him intensely, then conceded, "It makes sense that she'd become tougher, more experienced with fighting given that planet's idea of recreational activities."

"But…"

"But she resents us. And I don't understand why."

"Um, I don't either. And Teal'c -" The pair looked over at the sleeping Jaffa, who opened his left eye, raised the associated eyebrow, lowered it, and then closed his eye again, "- well, Teal'c has no idea, too."

Still pacing, Jack rubbed his eyes. "And?"

The archaeologist took a deep breath, "And, she is probably redirecting her internal conflict onto the nearest target. Which happens to be us. Plus, people tend to be less inhibited with people they know will not abandon them following a disagreement."

Jack groaned at his teammate's philosophy. "Which leaves us where, Daniel?"

"Well, no matter her current feelings, Sam's going to have a hard time re-assimilating into the SGC once we get her back to Earth. Things will have to change, especially given what's happened and is still happening. But I do find it interesting that she kept the journal, instead of discarding it with the rest of her equipment and belongings when she left the gate for the nearby city state. I think that speaks to her unwillingness to completely give up on us or on returning home with us."

Jack gestured with his hands. "I still don't know where that leaves us."

"Actually, it's you that doesn't know where this leaves you," corrected Daniel, stifling a yawn.

"Huh?"

"And to answer, I think it's time for you to start thinking about your needs."

Jack pursed his lips. "Hey, all I need is a cold beer and a piece of meat to char."

Daniel yawned again. "Jack, a dog can get by on just food and drink, but a human has needs that surpass the basics. We need to connect with other humans. We need to love and be loved."

"I love the Simpsons and I'm fairly sure they'd love me back if they were real. Problem solved. Besides, I'd much rather be a dog than a human. They've got a much less complicated social structure. Plus, no one complains when they sleep all day and make a mess in the kitchen."

"Don't play the dim-witted card with me, Jack. You know what I'm talking about."

"Not really," the Colonel tried to sound flippant, but it sounded too forced to his ears.

"Well, I'm talking about you figuring out what's best for Jack. But for once, not what's best for Earth and the galaxy."

Jack stared out at the gilded corridor for a long time, considering his response. By the time he turned back to his compatriot, he found that the archaeologist was already fast asleep, leaving Jack alone with his thoughts.

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**A/N: **Thanks to all who've read, favorited, alerted, and reviewed!


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